[Campbell Biology P.368] Which types of bonds are primarily responsible for holding nucleoti... | Practice Question

Which types of bonds are primarily responsible for holding nucleotides together within a single DNA strand and for holding the two DNA strands together, respectively?

  • A: Hydrogen bonds; Covalent bonds
  • B: Ionic bonds; Van der Waals interactions
  • C: Covalent bonds; Hydrogen bonds
  • D: Phosphodiester bonds; Peptide bonds

Explanation

Covalent sugar-phosphate bonds specifically phosphodiester bonds link nucleotides within a single DNA strand, forming the sugar-phosphate backbone. Hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs hold the two antiparallel DNA strands together.