1. Nucleotides: These are the building blocks of DNA, consisting of three parts:
* Deoxyribose sugar: A five-carbon sugar molecule.
* Phosphate group: A negatively charged molecule attached to the sugar.
* Nitrogenous base: One of four possible molecules: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), or thymine (T).
2. Double helix: DNA is structured as two long strands of nucleotides twisted around each other in a helix.
3. Base pairing: The nitrogenous bases on one strand pair with specific bases on the opposite strand. This pairing is always:
* Adenine (A) with Thymine (T)
* Guanine (G) with Cytosine (C)
4. Hydrogen bonds: These weak bonds hold the base pairs together, stabilizing the double helix structure.
These four components together create the iconic double helix structure of DNA, which is crucial for storing and transmitting genetic information.
