Question

How is the amino acid’s R group (ex. acidic, basic, polar or non-polar side chains) analogous to a nucleotides’s nitrogenous base?

Answer 1

Amino acid = central chiral carbon atom + carboxyl group + amino group + hydrogen atom + variable R group

Nucleotide = phosphate group + pentose sugar + variable nitrogenous base

In both amino acid and nucleotide, all other molecules are constant except for the variable group. The variable group in amino acid can be basic or acidic or aromatic or aliphatic. In nucleotide, the R group is a nitrogenous base, either A or T or G or C. The R group of both the molecules is analogous in the sense that they are variable in both. The R group is responsible for giving characteristic properties to each of the molecule.

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