The sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA is held together by:

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The question asks about what holds the sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA together.

First, I note that the provided data shows the correct answer as: Phosphodiester bonds. However, the answer_options list is missing, so there are no alternative choices to evaluate directly.

Given the standard biology knowledge:
- Phosphodiester bonds are the covalent linkages between the 3'-hydroxyl group of one sugar (deoxyribose) and the 5'-phosphate group of the next sugar in the DNA backbone. These bonds form the backbone that gives DNA its structural stability and directionality. This is the fundamental reason the sugar-phosphate backbone is described as being held together by phosphodiester linkages.

If other plausible choices were present, such as hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions with counterions, or peptide bonds, we could distinguish them as follows:
- Hydrogen bonds: These occur between complementary bases (A with T, G with C) and are responsible for base pairing, not for holding the backbone together.
- Ionic interactions with counterions: While ions stabilize DNA in solution and core packing, they do not constitute the covalent backbone linkage.
- Peptide bonds: These are the linkages in proteins, not nucleic acids, so they would be incorrect in the context of DNA.

In summary, the reinforcing concept is that the sugar-phosphate backbone is a chain of nucleotides connected by covalent phosphodiester bonds, which securely connect the sugar of one nucleotide to the phosphate of the next. Any option describing a covalent linkage between sugar and phosphate along the backbone would be correct, whereas options describing base pairing (hydrogen bonds) or non-covalent stabilization would be incorrect for the backbone itself.

BIOS 10501 1 Systems of the Human Body Week 1 Quiz

The sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA is held together by:

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