noun

• A complex organic substance present in living cells, especially DNA or RNA, whose molecules consist of many nucleotides linked in a long chain.

  ‘The cell uses a related nucleic acid called RNA (ribonucleic acid) to construct a working copy of that strand.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘There are two types of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, both of which are suitable for the transfer of information.’
  • ‘The order of amino acids in proteins is recorded in the genetic code housed in the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA.’
  • ‘Proteins are polymers of amino acids, while nucleic acids are polymers of nucleotides.’
  • ‘The concentration of protein and nucleic acids in extracts and the molecular weight of DNA were subsequently determined.’