Nucleic acid and amino acid are two types of important biomolecules in the cell. The main difference between nucleic acid and amino acid is that nucleic acid is a polymer of nucleotides that store genetic information of a cell whereas amino acid is a monomer that serves as the building blocks of proteins.
Also know, are amino acids proteins or lipids?
Comparing the Biological Macromolecules
| Macromolecule | Basic Formula, key features | Monomer |
|---|---|---|
| Proteins | CHON −NH2 + −COOH +R group | Amino acids |
| Lipids | C:H:O Greater than 2:1 H:O (carboxyl group) | Fatty acid and glycerol |
| Carbohydrates | C:H:O 1:2:1 | Monosaccharides |
| Nucleic Acids | CHONP pentose, nitrogenous base, phosphate | Nucleotides |
Keeping this in consideration, are nucleotides nucleic acids?
A nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids. RNA and DNA are polymers made of long chains of nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule (either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA) attached to a phosphate group and a nitrogen-containing base.
Does amino acid have nucleotides?
Hidden within the genetic code lies the “triplet code,” a series of three nucleotides that determine a single amino acid. … It had long been known that only 20 amino acids occur in naturally derived proteins.
How many amino acids are there in a nucleotide?
How many nucleotides are in a codon?
What are nucleotides made of?
A molecule consisting of a nitrogen-containing base (adenine, guanine, thymine, or cytosine in DNA; adenine, guanine, uracil, or cytosine in RNA), a phosphate group, and a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA; ribose in RNA).
What are the 4 amino acids in DNA?
The four types of nitrogen bases found in nucleotides are: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). The order, or sequence, of these bases determines what biological instructions are contained in a strand of DNA.
What is an amino acid structure?
An amino acid is an organic molecule that is made up of a basic amino group (−NH2), an acidic carboxyl group (−COOH), and an organic R group (or side chain) that is unique to each amino acid. … Each molecule contains a central carbon (C) atom, called the α-carbon, to which both an amino and a carboxyl group are attached.
Why are there 3 nucleotides in a codon?
code must be able to specify the placement of 20 amino acids. Since there are only four nucleotides, a code of single nucleotides would only represent four amino acids, such that A, C, G and U could be translated to encode amino acids. … These three letter codes of nucleotides (AUG, AAA, etc.) are called codons.