What are polymers made of nucleotides, such as DNA and RNA, called?

Polymers made of nucleotides, such as DNA and RNA, are classified as nucleic acids. A nucleotide is the basic structural unit of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. When these nucleotides link together through phosphodiester bonds, they form long chains that characterize nucleic acids.

Nucleic acids play essential roles in the storage and transmission of genetic information. For instance, DNA encodes the instructions for building proteins and RNA is involved in various roles, such as coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.

While proteins are made of amino acids, carbohydrates are polymers of simple sugars, and amino acids themselves are the building blocks of proteins, these categories do not pertain to the polymer structure of nucleotides. Thus, the classification of DNA and RNA as nucleic acids highlights their unique structure and function within biological systems.