Question

What products would be formed when a nucleotide from DNA containing thymine is hydrolyzed ?

Hint:

Hydrolysis of any nucleotide gives three components: a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar and phosphoric acid.

Answer 1

Step 1: Two types of bonds in a nucleotide.
A nucleotide contains a glycosidic bond (joining the base to the sugar) and a phosphoester bond (joining the phosphate to the sugar). Hydrolysis cleaves both bonds.
Step 2: Components of the DNA-thymine nucleotide.
The base is thymine; the sugar is 2-deoxyribose (DNA-specific, lacking $-OH$ at the 2' carbon); and the third component is a phosphate group.
Step 3: Products released by hydrolysis.
Cleavage of both bonds separates all three components: thymine, 2-deoxyribose, and phosphoric acid.
\[ \boxed{\text{Thymine} + \text{2-Deoxyribose} + \text{Phosphoric acid}} \]