Which of the following describes nucleic acids?

• A. They store energy as ATP.
• B. They form membranes.
• C. They catalyze chemical reactions.
• D. They store and transmit genetic information.

Answer: (D)

Nucleic acids are the molecules that store and transmit genetic information. They are long polymers built from nucleotides, and the order of bases encodes the instructions needed to make an organism’s proteins and regulate genes. DNA holds the hereditary information and is replicated so it can be passed to new cells, while RNA carries those instructions to the cellular machinery to produce proteins or control gene expression. Energy storage in cells isn’t the job of nucleic acids—that role belongs to ATP—and membranes aren’t formed by nucleic acids; they’re lipid-based. Some RNA molecules can act as catalysts, but the main function of nucleic acids is information storage and transfer, which is why this description is the best fit.