Of the following, the one that is not a constituent of a nucleic acid chain is (a) purine base; (b) phosphate group; (c) glycerol; (d) pentose sugar; (e) pyrimidine base.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The constituent that is not part of a nucleic acid chain is (c) glycerol.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the components of a nucleic acid

A nucleic acid is composed of a phosphate group, a sugar (either ribose in the case of RNA or deoxyribose in the case of DNA) and a nitrogenous base.
02

Match the components with given options

Let's try and match these to the given options.\n 1. A phosphate group: this is a component of a nucleic acid. \n 2. A purine base: this is a type of nitrogenous base and part of a nucleic acid. \n 3. A pyrimidine base: this is another type of nitrogenous base and part of a nucleic acid. \n 4. A pentose sugar: this is also part of a nucleic acid, with different molecules being part of DNA (deoxyribose) or RNA (ribose).
03

Identify the option not found in nucleic acids

With the remaining option of glycerol, it can be identified that it is not part of a nucleic acid. Glycerol is a component of lipids (fats, oils, waxes, etc.), not nucleic acids.

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