phosphodiester bond

noun

: a covalent bond in RNA or DNA that holds a polynucleotide chain together by joining a phosphate group at position 5 in the pentose sugar of one nucleotide to the hydroxyl group at position 3 in the pentose sugar of the next nucleotide

called also phosphodiester linkage

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Cite this Entry

“Phosphodiester bond.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/phosphodiester%20bond. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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