What are the two main types of nucleic acids?

The two main types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, serves as the genetic material that carries the hereditary information essential for the growth, development, and functioning of all living organisms. It is double-stranded and has a distinctive helical structure. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, plays crucial roles in translating that genetic information into proteins. Unlike DNA, RNA is typically single-stranded and can take on various forms, such as messenger RNA (mRNA), which conveys genetic instructions from DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis, and transfer RNA (tRNA), which helps decode the mRNA into a specific sequence of amino acids.

The other answer choices, while representing important biological macromolecules, do not pertain to nucleic acids. Proteins and lipids are classified as other types of macromolecules, and amino acids and sugars are the building blocks of proteins and carbohydrates, respectively. However, they do not represent nucleic acids themselves. Thus, recognizing the distinct roles and structures of DNA and RNA is fundamental to understanding molecular biology and genetics.