In a nucleic acid a phosphate moiety links the

Options

A. 3'-carbon of the sugar of one nucleotide to the
5'-carbon of the sugar of the succeeding nucletoide
B. 5'-carbon of the sugar of one nucleotide to the
3'-carbon of the sugar of the succeeding nucletoide
C. 3'-carbon of the sugar of one nucleotide to the
5'-carbon of the sugar of the preceeding nucletoide
D. Sugar on one hand and nitrogenous base on another hand

Explanation

To answer the question "In a nucleic acid a phosphate moiety links the...", we will break down the components of nucleic acids and how they are structured.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Nucleic Acids**:
- Nucleic acids are polymers made up of repeating units called nucleotides. The two main types of nucleic acids are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid).

2. **Components of Nucleotides**:
- Each nucleotide consists of three components:
- A nitrogenous base (which can be a purine like adenine or guanine, or a pyrimidine like cytosine, uracil, or thymine).
- A pentose sugar (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA).
- A phosphate group.

3. **Formation of Nucleotides**:
- When a nitrogenous base is attached to a pentose sugar, it forms a nucleoside.
- When a phosphate group is added to the nucleoside, it forms a nucleotide.

4. **Linking of Nucleotides**:
- The phosphate group is crucial for linking nucleotides together.
- Specifically, the phosphate group bonds to the 5' hydroxyl (OH) end of one nucleotide and links to the 3' carbon of the next nucleotide.

5. **Phosphodiester Bond**:
- This linkage forms a phosphodiester bond, creating a backbone of alternating sugar and phosphate groups.
- The connection between the 3' carbon of one nucleotide and the 5' carbon of the next nucleotide is referred to as a 3' to 5' phosphodiester linkage.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the phosphate moiety in nucleic acids links the 3' end of one nucleotide to the 5' end of the succeeding nucleotide.

### Final Answer:
The phosphate moiety links the 3' end of one nucleotide to the 5' end of the next nucleotide.