| Strand scission in DNA can result from the production of a carbon-based radical following hydrogen atom abstraction from deoxyribose. |
| The backbone of both strands in the double helix is a chain of linked phosphate and deoxyribose molecules. |
| A nucleotide is a combination of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar, a purine or pyrimidine base, and a phosphate group. |
| Another difference between DNA and RNA is that RNA contains ribose, rather than deoxyribose. |
| Each nucleotide is composed of deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogen-containing bases. |
| The enzymes catalyzing the initial step are glycosylases, which cleave the glycosidic bond between the base and its deoxyribose. |
