A nucleotide consists of a nucleoside and one or more phosphate groups. Nucleotides are the monomers of RNA and DNA, as well as forming the structural units of several important cofactors - CoA, flavin adenine dinucleotide, flavin mononucleotide, adenosine triphosphate and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. In the cell nucleotides play important roles in metabolism, and signaling.
Nucleotides are named after the nucleoside on which they are based, in conjunction with the number of phosphates they contain, for example:
- Adenine bonded to ribose forms the nucleoside adenosine.
- Adenosine bonded to a phosphate forms adenosine monophosphate.
- As phosphates are added, adenosine diphosphate and adenosine triphosphate are formed, in sequence.
