DNA is made up of repeating nucleotide monomers. Each nucleotide is one “building block” unit that links together to form the long DNA polymer.

What monomer makes up DNA?

  • The monomer of DNA is called a nucleotide.
  • DNA is therefore described as a long chain (polymer) of many nucleotides joined end to end.

What is in a nucleotide?

Each DNA nucleotide has three main parts:

  • A phosphate group
  • A sugar called deoxyribose
  • A nitrogenous base (one of: adenine A, thymine T, cytosine C, or guanine G)

Why this matters (quick scoop style)

  • Changing the order of nucleotide monomers changes the genetic “code”, which is how DNA stores information.
  • Even though there are only four base types, the huge number of possible nucleotide sequences lets DNA carry all the instructions for building and running living organisms.

In short: when asking “what monomer makes up DNA,” the precise answer is “nucleotides.” ✅

TL;DR: The monomer that makes up DNA is the nucleotide, composed of a phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar, and one nitrogenous base (A, T, C, or G).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.