What type of linkage joins the nucleotides within a single DNA strand
Is it a hydrogen bond?
I believe they are ester bonds.
Check this site.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA
Thanks
What about glycosidic bonds?
No, a hydrogen bond does not join nucleotides within a single DNA strand. The type of linkage that joins the nucleotides within a single DNA strand is a covalent bond. Specifically, it is a phosphodiester bond.
To understand this concept, let's take a closer look at the structure of DNA:
DNA is composed of two complementary strands that are held together by hydrogen bonds between specific base pairs (adenine with thymine, and cytosine with guanine). Each DNA strand is made up of individual nucleotides, which consist of a sugar molecule (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, cytosine, or guanine).
The nucleotides within a single DNA strand are joined through covalent bonds called phosphodiester bonds. These bonds are formed between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar molecule (specifically, the 3' carbon) of an adjacent nucleotide. This results in a sugar-phosphate backbone that runs along the length of the DNA strand, with the nitrogenous bases projecting inward.
So, in summary, the type of linkage that joins the nucleotides within a single DNA strand is a phosphodiester bond, not a hydrogen bond.