Nucleic acid Nucleic acid Nucleic acids are the biopolymers, or small biomolecules, essential to all known forms of life. The term "nucleic acid" is the overall name for DNA and RNA. They are composed of nucleotides, which are the monomers made of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group and a nitrogenous base. If the sugar is a compound ribose, the polymer is RNA (ribonucleic acid); if the sugar is derived from ribose as deoxyribose, the polymer is DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Nucleic acids are the most important of all biomolecules. They are found in abundance in all living things, where they
Amino acid-based formula Amino acid-based formula Amino acid-based formula, also known as an elemental formula, is a type of hypoallergenic infant formula made from individual amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and together they form the protein requirements in formula needed for growth and development. The amino acids are in the simplest form, making it easy for the body to process and digest. "Neocate", "EleCare" and "Nutramigen Puramino" are the more commonly encountered brands of amino acid-based formula in the US. Because infants and children have different nutritional needs, amino acid-based formulas are typically formulated either for infants 0–1