DNA and RNA are two types of nucleic acids, large molecules found in all living cells and viruses. Although DNA and RNA have a number of similarities, there are some key structural and functional differences between the two types of nucleic acids. Both DNA and RNA molecules are made of sugar-phosphate backbones, with nucleotide bases sticking out.
The 5-carbon sugar found in DNA is deoxyribose, while RNA contains the sugar ribose. The key difference between DNA and RNA is that DNA comprises deoxyribose within the DNA pentose rings, while RNA (ribonucleic acid) comprises ribose within its pentose rings.
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) uses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to encode protein structures synthesized by cells, it is also the genetic material of some viruses. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are arguably the most important molecules in cellular biology, responsible for storing and reading the genetic information that is at the heart of all life. It is the blueprint of all the genetic information contained in the body. RNA converts genetic information in DNA into the format used for protein building, then moves it into the ribosomal protein factories.
DNA stores the genetic information for a cell, while RNA encodes the amino acids and acts as the messenger between DNA molecules and ribosomes. The differences between RNA and DNA are shown not only by the structures of the two molecules but by the functions that they perform. Thus, RNA and DNA are distinct types of nucleic acids, which are responsible for the storage of genetic information within living cells, and they both play fundamental roles in translating that information into proteins that serve various functions. DNA is a double-stranded molecule, containing a long nucleotide chain, whereas RNA is single-stranded only.
RNA is generally a single-stranded helix made up of shorter chains of nucleotides. Unlike DNA, RNA exists most often as a single-stranded molecule, but RNA can form two-stranded secondary structures, such as hairpin loops, through complementary base pairing; Adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U), while cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). DNA and RNA share nitrogenous bases A, G, and C. Thymine is typically only found in DNA, while uracil generally is only found in RNA. In both DNA and RNA, the small molecules called nucleotides contain four nucleobases--sometimes called the nitrogenous bases, or just bases--two purine bases and one pyrimidine base.
DNA is made of nucleotides that contain the nitrogenous groups, the phosphate group, and the sugar group. The primary role of ribonucleic acid (RNA) is as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling protein synthesis. Reactivity Due to its sugar deoxyribose, which contains a single hydroxyl group that contains no oxygen, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a more stable molecule than RNA, which is beneficial to a molecule that has the job to protect genetic information.
DNA is a double-stranded molecule that has long chains of nucleotides, whereas RNA is single-stranded. DNA is double-stranded and RNA is single-stranded, so RNA can escape from the nucleus and DNA cannot. Unlike DNA, RNA is a single-stranded molecule; however, RNA can still form double-stranded structures. DNA is typically double-stranded, having two distinct chains connected, while RNA is single-stranded.
Unlike DNA, RNA exists as a single-stranded molecule for the majority of its life, but RNA can form two-stranded secondary structures, such as hairpin loops, through complementary base pairing; Adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). DNA and RNA share nitrogenous bases A, G, and C. Thymine is typically only found in DNA, while uracil is typically only found in RNA. DNA has the four nitrogen bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, while RNA has uracil in place of thymine. Although both the RNA and DNA nucleotides have four different bases, a distinct difference is that RNA uses uracil as its base while deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) uses thymine.
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) uses DNA to encode for protein structures synthesized by cells, it is also the genetic material for some viruses. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a blueprint of all the genetic information contained in an organism. RNA converts genetic information in DNA into the format used for protein building, then moves it into the protein factories in ribosomes. RNA is another nucleic acid that translates genetic information into proteins from DNA. The RNA carries instructions from DNA which direct protein synthesis, but some viruses have the RNA carry the genetic information instead of the DNA.
DNA stores the genetic information of a cell, while RNA encodes the amino acids and acts as the messenger between the DNA molecules and ribosomes. RNA and DNA are therefore distinct types of nucleic acids, responsible for the storage of genetic information within a living cell, and both are critical for translating that information into proteins that serve various functions.
Small amounts of DNA are also found in mitochondria, known as mtDNA, or mitochondrial DNA, while RNA is the ribonucleic acid found in all living cells. DNA is mainly found in nuclei while RNA (ribonucleic acid) is found in the cytoplasm of cells.
There is one type of DNA while there are many types of RNA that serve different functions like mRNA (carries DNA messages into the cytoplasm), tRNA (carries amino acids into the mRNA and Ribosomes), rRNA (ribosomal RNA, a working bench of protein synthesis). RNA is complementarity with DNA, helping perform tasks DNA lists to it. Reactivity Due to its sugar deoxyribose, which contains only one oxygen-containing hydroxyl group, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is a more stable molecule than RNA, which is helpful to a molecule that has a job to protect genetic information.
