JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3bm147
In a DNA strand, adjacent nucleotides are joined by a phosphodiester bond between
Athe 3′-OH of one sugar and the 5′-phosphate of the next nucleotide
Bthe 2′-OH of one sugar and the 5′-phosphate of the next nucleotide
Cthe nitrogenous bases of adjacent nucleotides
Dthe 5′-OH of one sugar and the 5′-phosphate of the next nucleotide
Answer: A
The backbone is a repeating sugar-phosphate chain. The phosphate on C5 of one nucleotide forms an ester with the 3-prime hydroxyl of the previous sugar, so the link runs 3-prime to 5-prime.