Which of the following is a smaller component of nucleic acids?

Nucleotides are the fundamental building blocks of nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA. A nucleotide is composed of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (either ribose in RNA or deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogenous base (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, or uracil). These nucleotides link together through phosphodiester bonds to form the long chains that make up nucleic acids.

The other options do not correspond to the structure of nucleic acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, carbohydrates are sugars or polymers of sugars that serve as energy sources or structural components in cells, and fatty acids are key components of lipids, which are important for cell membranes and energy storage. Therefore, the correct answer, nucleotides, is specifically associated with the structure and function of nucleic acids.