DNA

The structures of the phosphate ion, 2-deoxyribose (a pentose sugar) and the four bases adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine are given in the Chemistry Data Booklet.

A nucleotide is made up from a phosphate ion bonded to 2-deoxyribose which is in turn bonded to one of the four bases adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine.

A single strand of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a polymer of nucleotides linked by covalent bonds between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the 2-deoxyribose of another nucleotide. This results in a sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate polymer chain with bases attached to the sugars in the chain.

DNA exists as two complementary strands arranged in the form of a double helix.