Hydrolysis of DNA would ultimately yield which building blocks?

• A. Amino acids
• B. Fatty acids
• C. Monosaccharides
• D. Nucleotides

Answer: (D)

DNA is a polymer built from nucleotides linked by phosphodiester bonds. When hydrolysis happens, these bonds are cleaved, releasing the monomer units. The building blocks of DNA are nucleotides, each containing a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. So hydrolysis ultimately yields nucleotides. Amino acids form proteins, fatty acids form lipids, and monosaccharides form carbohydrates, so they’re not the products here.