The difference between Nucleoside and Nucleotide

When used as nouns, nucleoside means an organic molecule in which a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (or nucleobase), which can be either a double-ringed purine or a single-ringed pyrimidine, is covalently attached to a five-carbon pentose sugar (deoxyribose in dna or ribose in rna). when the phosphate group is covalently attached to the pentose sugar, it forms a nucleotide, whereas nucleotide means the monomer constituting dna or rna biopolymer molecules. each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (or nucleobase), which can be either a double-ringed purine or a single-ringed pyrimidine.


check bellow for the other definitions of Nucleoside and Nucleotide

  1. Nucleoside as a noun (biochemistry):

    an organic molecule in which a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (or nucleobase), which can be either a double-ringed purine or a single-ringed pyrimidine, is covalently attached to a five-carbon pentose sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA). When the phosphate group is covalently attached to the pentose sugar, it forms a nucleotide.

  1. Nucleotide as a noun (biochemistry):

    The monomer constituting DNA or RNA biopolymer molecules. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (or nucleobase), which can be either a double-ringed purine or a single-ringed pyrimidine; a five-carbon pentose sugar (deoxyribose in DNA or ribose in RNA); and a phosphate group.