What are nucleic acids composed of?

Nucleic acids are made up of polymers called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group. Nucleotides are the building blocks that link together to form nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA. In contrast to carbohydrates, which are composed of monosaccharides, nucleic acids do not consist of these simpler sugars. Instead, they are categorized as polymers, meaning they are larger molecules formed from repeating subunits (the nucleotides).