Phosphate sugar — esters, acid hydrolysis

Nucleosides and nucleotides are combinations of a base with a sugar. A nucleoside is an N-glycoside formed between a base and a sugar (usually ribose or deoxyribose). A nucleotide is a phosphate ester of a nucleoside. DNA nucleotides are more stable to acid hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond, which is one reason tfrat DNA has superceded RNA as the main genetic storage molecule it is less prone to mutation. 

The nucleic acids consist of individual mononucleotide units (pyrine or pyrimidine base-sugar-phosphate) joined by a phosphoric acid ester linkage through the sugar. During decomposition, nucleic acids are converted to mononucleotides by the action of nucleases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of... 

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