Since when is ATP not a nucleic acid

[Addallat]

EK # 676 asks

Which of the following compounds can serve as a possible source of "chemical energy" to fuel the heart?


I. ATP
II. Glucose
III. Nucleic acids

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II
D. I, II, and III

I picked D since ATP is a nucleic acid
book says C

Was this just a poor question on EK's part?

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[EmCEm]

ATP is a nucleoside triphosphate. Some nucleosides include adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracil. Nucleic acids are DNA and RNA and are made up of nucleotides.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

EK # 676 asks

Which of the following compounds can serve as a possible source of "chemical energy" to fuel the heart?


I. ATP
II. Glucose
III. Nucleic acids

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II
D. I, II, and III

I picked D since ATP is a nucleic acid
book says C

Was this just a poor question on EK's part?

ATP consists of nucleic acids but its not overall a nucleic acid. (ATGC, U)

 

[Addallat]

ATP is a nucleoside triphosphate. Some nucleosides include adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracil. Nucleic acids are DNA and RNA and are made up of nucleotides.

thanks for clearing that up!

 

[KGflyboy]

I just looked this up in my medical biochem book because I was confused, and my book says ATP is in fact a nucleotide but not a nucleic acid

ATP does not constitute a nucleic acid even though it is a nucleotide because only nucleotides that form DNA and RNA are considered nucleic acids by definition.

In other words, all nucleic acids are formed from nucleotides, but not all nucleotides form nucleic acids.

Perhaps other texts explain it differently. I'm not a biochem expert and am simply paraphrasing from my book.

 

[wjs010]

U know ATP is a standard energy currency for the body. Ask yourself if one of the answer choices makes ATP. Glycolysis does.

 

[gettheleadout]

I'm not sure what the confusion is here, nucleus acids are polymers of nucleotides. ATP is an individual nucleotide derivative, not a polymer of nucleotides, therefore it cannot be a nucleic acid.