
Nucleic acid | Definition, Function, Structure, & Types | Britannica
Dec 29, 2025 · What is the basic structure of a nucleic acid? Nucleic acids are long chainlike molecules composed of a series of nearly identical building blocks called nucleotides.
Virus - Structure, Capsid, Genome | Britannica
Dec 17, 2025 · The nucleic acid and proteins of each class of viruses assemble themselves into a structure called a nucleoprotein, or nucleocapsid. Some viruses have more than one layer of …
Nucleic acid - DNA, Genes, Molecules | Britannica
Dec 29, 2025 · Nucleic acid - DNA, Genes, Molecules: DNA is a polymer of the four nucleotides A, C, G, and T, which are joined through a backbone of alternating phosphate and …
Virus | Definition, Structure, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 17, 2025 · The nucleic acid and proteins of each class of viruses assemble themselves into a structure called a nucleoprotein, or nucleocapsid. Some viruses have more than one layer of …
Base | nucleic acid | Britannica
Other articles where base is discussed: nucleic acid: Basic structure: …four of five possible nitrogen-containing bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U).
Biomolecule | Definition, Structure, Functions, Examples, & Facts ...
6 days ago · Among biomolecules, nucleic acids, namely DNA and RNA, have the unique function of storing an organism’s genetic code —the sequence of nucleotides that determines the …
DNA | Definition, Discovery, Function, Bases, Facts, & Structure ...
Dec 11, 2025 · In 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick, aided by the work of biophysicists Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, determined that the structure of DNA is a double-helix …
Virion | Capsid, Envelope & Nucleic Acid | Britannica
Virion, an entire virus particle, consisting of an outer protein shell called a capsid and an inner core of nucleic acid (either ribonucleic or deoxyribonucleic acid—RNA or DNA).
Phoebus Levene | Discoveries & Biography | Britannica
What is the basic structure of a nucleic acid? Nucleic acids are long chainlike molecules composed of a series of nearly identical building blocks called nucleotides.
Nucleotide | Description, Types, Function, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 11, 2025 · In the two families of nucleic acids, RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the sequence of nucleotides in the DNA or RNA codes for the …