Are Nucleotides Acidic or Basic?

Nucleotides are slightly acidic in nature because they contain a phosphate group, which releases hydrogen ions in solution. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA. They are made of three parts: a sugar, a nitrogenous base, and one or more phosphate groups. The phosphate group is responsible for the acidic property of nucleotides.

Structure of a Nucleotide

Why Acidic?

• The phosphate group (-PO₄) can lose hydrogen ions (H⁺).
• This makes nucleotides behave like weak acids in solution.
• DNA and RNA are often referred to as nucleic acids due to this property.