DNA: a base or an acid?

[Stefanie Potthoff]

Miiko Sokka (meeco at sci.fi) wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> I wonder why in the name of DNA, deoksiribonucleic acid, is the acid 
> part, because the DNA molecule has mostly base-parts on it?

All nucleinic acids are chains of nucleotids. Every nucleotid is
build of three parts: a heterocyclic ring (the base), in case
of the DNA the desoxyribose and phophoric acid. The name is derived
from the phosphoric acid in this case.

ttyl,

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Stefanie Potthoff            |        steffi at msq.ruhr.de
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