nucleotides

nu·cle·o·tide   (nōō'klē-ə-tīd', nyōō'-)    n.  Any of various compounds consisting of a nucleoside combined with a phosphate group and forming the basic constituent of DNA and RNA. [Alteration of nucleoside.]

nucleotides [(nooh-klee-uh-teyedz)]

The molecules that form the basic modular structure of the double helix of the DNA molecule. A nucleotide consists of three molecules — a sugar, a phosphate group, and a molecule called a base. If the double helix is a twisted ladder, the sugar and phosphates form the sides of the ladder and pairs of bases form the rungs. There are four different bases, usually abbreviated A, C, G, and T for adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine). The order of bases in DNA determines the genetic code.

Main Entry: nu·cle·o·tide
Pronunciation: 'n(y)ü-klE-&-"tId
Function: noun
: any of several compounds that consist of a riboseor deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of RNA and DNA —compare NUCLEOSIDE

nucleotide nu·cle·o·tide (n&oomacr;'klē-ə-tīd', ny&oomacr;'-)
n.
Any of various compounds consisting of a nucleoside combined with a phosphate group and forming the basic constituent of DNA and RNA.

nucleotide   (n'klē-ə-tīd')  Pronunciation Key  Any of a group of organic compounds composed of a nucleoside linked to a phosphate group. Nucleotides are the basic building blocks of nucleic acids.