At neutral pH, which of the following nucleobases is considered a neutral molecule? A) Cytosine B) Uracil C) Adenine D) Thymine
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to identify which nucleobase among the given options is neutral at a neutral pH, which involves understanding the properties of nucleobases and their ionization states.
Answer
Uracil
The final answer is Uracil.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is Uracil.
More Information
Uracil is a nucleobase found in RNA and is typically electrically neutral at physiological pH because it lacks the ability to accept or donate protons readily, unlike other nucleobases that can be protonated or deprotonated under such conditions.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume all nucleobases can gain or lose protons similarly. However, protonation depends on the presence of amino groups available for tautomerization.
Sources
- Non-canonical base pairing - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
- Nucleic Acids - MSU chemistry - .chemistry.msu.edu
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