Chapter 11.1, Problem 2CYP

Summary Introduction

To describe:

Compare and contrast the structure of DNA and RNA.

Introduction:

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) both are nucleic acids. DNA and RNA are polymers composed of their monomers called nucleotides. They are polynucleotides. DNA carries all the hereditary information. RNA does not carry genetic information. DNA is a polynucleotide. Each nucleotide is composed of a deoxyribose sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate molecule.

Whereas, the nucleotide of RNA composed of the ribose sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate molecule. DNA is made of four different types of nucleotides such as adenine (A) nucleotide, guanine (G) nucleotide, cytosine(C), and thymine (T) nucleotide. But, in RNA thymine nucleotide is replaced by uracil (U) nucleotide.

DNA is double helical twisted ladder-like structure, whereas RNA is single-stranded structure.

DNA stores and transfers genetic information from parent to offspring, whereas RNA helps in protein synthesis.