Nucleic acids are themselves one of the four major macromolecules of life, along with carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

Here's why:

* Macromolecule: A large molecule composed of smaller repeating subunits called monomers.

* Nucleic Acids: Polymers made up of nucleotide monomers. There are two main types of nucleic acids:

* Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): Stores genetic information.

* Ribonucleic acid (RNA): Plays a crucial role in protein synthesis.

So, while nucleic acids are made up of nucleotides, they are considered a macromolecule category themselves.