How do nucleotides provide nucleic acids with specific codes? HINT: Think about the structure of nucleotides and the different types of bases found in them.

Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are made up of building blocks called nucleotides. A nucleotide consists of three main components: a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, and ribose in RNA), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. In DNA, the four nitrogenous bases are: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). In RNA, the four nitrogenous bases are: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and uracil (U). A set of three nucleotides is called a codon, and a codon is what encodes for a particular amino acid. Since amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, the specific sequence of nucleotides within the nucleic acids is responsible for driving the production of proteins. In this way, the arrangement of nucleotide bases encodes all of the genetic information an organism needs to develop, grow, and reproduce.