Q.Tabulate the differences between DNA and RNA.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →DNA and RNA differ chiefly in their sugar (deoxyribose vs ribose), strandedness (double vs single), one base (thymine vs uracil), stability, and function (genetic storage vs protein synthesis/expression).
Both DNA and RNA are nucleic acids, polymers of nucleotide units (each nucleotide made of a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base). Their differences can be tabulated as follows:
Sugar component: DNA contains deoxyribose sugar (which lacks an oxygen atom at the 2' carbon compared to ribose). RNA contains ribose sugar (which has an -OH group at the 2' carbon).
Strandedness: DNA is typically double-stranded, forming the well-known double helix, with two complementary antiparallel strands held together by hydrogen bonds between base pairs. RNA is typically single-stranded (though it can fold back on itself to form local double-stranded/hairpin regions).
Nitrogenous bases: Both share adenine (A), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). But DNA uses thymine (T) as its fourth base, while RNA uses uracil (U) instead of thymine.
Stability: DNA, being double-stranded and lacking the reactive 2'-OH group, is chemically more stable, making it well suited for long-term storage of genetic information. RNA, being single-stranded and possessing the reactive 2'-OH group, is comparatively less stable and more prone to degradation.
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