What term describes a long chain of nucleotides?

• A. Nucleotides
• B. Polynucleotides
• C. Codons
• D. Genes

Answer: (B)

When you have a long chain of nucleotides, you’re looking at a polymer formed by linking many nucleotide units together through phosphodiester bonds. This polymer is called a polynucleotide. DNA and RNA are both polynucleotides, made up of repeating nucleotide subunits.

Nucleotides are the individual building blocks, so the term describes the monomer level. Codons, in contrast, are three-nucleotide sequences used during translation to specify amino acids. Genes refer to specific functional units in DNA that encode a product (like a protein or RNA), and while genes are made of polynucleotides, the term “gene” emphasizes function and location rather than simply the length or polymer nature of the chain.

So, the long chain of nucleotides is best described as a polynucleotide.