Definition : A nucleotide is a chemical compound made up of three parts: a heterocyclic base, a sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. In the most common nucleotides the base is a derivative of purine or pyrimidine, and the sugar is pentose - deoxyribose or ribose. Nucleotides serve as building blocks for making DNA.

Structure of Nucleotides
Nucleotides are the structural units of RNA, DNA, and several cofactors - CoA, FAD, FMN, NADH, and NADP.

Function of Nucleotides
In every cell of the body, nucleotides are involved in energy production, metabolism, and signaling.

Nucleotide Supplement
Nucleotides, available over the counter as "health food" supplements, are biologically active and reduce gastric injury. These compounds could provide a novel inexpensive approach for the prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other ulcerative conditions of the bowel. Nucleotides are marketed in either pure or mixed forms to promote general health. However, data on the true biologic activity of orally administered nucleotides is limited. In lab-dish experiments with human and rat tissue, researchers have found that the addition of nucleotides leads to an approximately twofold increase in cell migration, a known biological repair response. In rats with induced gastric injury, oral administration of a mixture of nucleotides significantly reduced the degree of injury. SOURCE: Gut, February 2006.

Single nucleotide polymorphism
The significance of DNA nucleotide variations among individuals, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and/or genome nucleotide mutations as well as to their detection by using new technology, will improve and facilitate the knowledge of each gene sequence. Various tests are being evaluated to determine DNA nucleotide variations.