Definition: Complementary base pairing is the specific matching of adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine through hydrogen bonds.

Vocabulary: Phosphodiester bond - A covalent bond that joins nucleotides together in DNA and RNA.

Highlight: Nucleotides arrange in an anti-parallel formation, with phosphate groups connecting to the 3' and 5' carbon atoms of adjacent sugar molecules.

Example: The sugar-phosphate backbone forms through phosphodiester bonds, where the phosphate group connects to the 5' carbon of one sugar and the 3' carbon of another.

Definition: Nucleotides are the basic structural units of nucleic acids, consisting of a phosphate group, pentose sugar, and nitrogenous base.

Example: A typical nucleotide formation involves the joining of deoxyribose sugar with a phosphate group and a base like thymine through condensation reactions, releasing water molecules.

Vocabulary: Condensation reaction - A chemical process where two molecules join together with the loss of a water molecule.

Highlight: The precise arrangement of phosphate groups, sugars, and bases is crucial for forming the complex structure of DNA and RNA molecules.