What bonds hold nitrogen bases together?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the types of bonds that connect the nitrogen bases in DNA or RNA. This generally pertains to the structural aspects of nucleic acids, specifically the hydrogen bonds that link complementary bases together.
Answer
hydrogen bonds
The final answer is hydrogen bonds
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is hydrogen bonds
More Information
Hydrogen bonds are specific and predictable: adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G) via three hydrogen bonds. This specificity provides stability and ensures accurate DNA replication.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the hydrogen bonds between the nitrogen bases with the covalent bonds in the DNA backbone. The latter involve the phosphate and sugar components.