How is the nucleotide different from a nucleoside?
Show Hint
Remember the relation:
\[
\boxed{
\text{Nucleoside}
+\text{Phosphate}
=
\text{Nucleotide}
}
\]
Examples:
\[
\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
\text{Adenosine} &\rightarrow \text{Nucleoside}\\
\text{AMP (Adenosine Monophosphate)} &\rightarrow \text{Nucleotide}
\end{aligned}
}
\]
The phosphate group is the key difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide.
A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base attached to a pentose sugar (ribose or deoxyribose). A nucleotide is formed by adding one or more phosphate groups to the nucleoside, so the presence of a phosphate group is the key difference between a nucleotide and a nucleoside.