Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Ribonucleotides are the basic building blocks of RNA, consisting of a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. They play essential roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The ribonucleotide components include adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U).
Ribonucleotides are linked together by phosphodiester bonds to form the backbone of RNA molecules.
Unlike deoxyribonucleotides in DNA, ribonucleotides contain a hydroxyl group at the 2' position of the ribose sugar.
They participate in various cellular processes such as protein synthesis and gene regulation through messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
ATP is a well-known example of a ribonucleotide that functions as an energy carrier in cells.
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Related terms
Deoxyribonucleotide: The building block of DNA, consisting of deoxyribose sugar, phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
Phosphodiester bond: A type of covalent bond that links nucleotides together in nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.
Messenger RNA (mRNA): A type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis.