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  4. Nucleic acids are strong acids. The acidity is due to

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Q. Nucleic acids are strong acids. The acidity is due to

NTA AbhyasNTA Abhyas 2020

Solution:

Nucleic acid was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher in the year 1868. from the nucleus, the pus cells and called it as nuclein. Later, in 1989, Richard Altmann discovered that the nuclein had acidic properties, and hence he changed its name, 'nuclein', to 'nucleic acid'. This acidity of the nucleic acids is due to the phosphate groups used in the formation of DNAs and RNAs. These phosphate groups are basically phosphoric acids. The only difference is, there is the replacement of two protons from the phosphoric acid with a proton from the pentose sugar molecules of the nucleotides. This leaves only one remaining proton, which is very acidic in nature and causes nucleic acids to be acidic.