BRAINCAKEStability of the Double Helix
The phosphate and sugar groups are joined together by phosphodiester bonds to form the sugar-phosphate backbone of each strand of the DNA molecule.
The two strands wind round each other with the bases pointing inwards so the phosphodiester backbone protects the bases from chemical damage.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- hydrogen bond
- A weak electrostatic attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen atom on one polar molecule and a slightly negative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, on another.
More in Nucleic Acids
- Nucleotides
- RNA
- DNA
- Complementary Base Pairing
- Function of DNA
- Discovering DNA as the Hereditary Material
- DNA Semi-Conservative Replication
- Evidence for Semi-Conservative Replication
All 18 lessons in Nucleic Acids · All AQA AS-level Biology topics