A1.2.2—Components of a nucleotide
Nucleotides are built from a phosphate group, a pentose sugar, and a nitrogenous base, with DNA and RNA differing in sugar and bases.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Objective
- A1.2.2
- Level
- HL
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing3%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceMay 2025
Most common paperPaper1B
Typical marks1–3
Common command terms
- Identify
- Draw
Recent exam appearances
May 2025Paper1B HL · TZ23(c)(ii)[ 1 ]A1.2.2—Components of a nucleotide
May 2025Paper1B HL · TZ23(c)(i)[ 3 ]A1.2.2—Components of a nucleotide
May 2022Paper2 HL · TZ18(a)[ 3 ]A1.2.2—Components of a nucleotide
May 2022Paper1 HL · TZ16[ 1 ]A1.2.2—Components of a nucleotide
Practice this objective
Coverage 2022–2025 · Updated 14 Jul 2026
Concept essentials
- Components of a nucleotide should be described using precise molecular vocabulary.
- Structure and information must be kept separate: backbones provide continuity while bases carry sequence meaning.
- Exam answers should match the command term and avoid adding unsupported extra claims.