"DNA and RNA are the genetic material of all life on earth, made up of sugars, phosphates, and nitrogenous bases."
Although both differ in structure, function and texture. But before we discuss that, let's get started.Vonthe essential.
A nucleic acid orDNSoARNit is present in the nucleus of a cell responsible for the inheritance of traits.
It is the genetic material of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. And transmits information from one generation to another. Consequently, it produces different traits or phenotypes to fulfill different functions.
However, RNA as genetic material is only found in some viruses called retroviruses, not in our genetic material. However, it plays a unique role in other prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
"DNA stores and transmits genetic information, while RNA converts it into functional proteins."and there is a big difference between the two.
In this article, we will talk about some of the important differences between DNA and RNA along with some common similarities between them.
Important announcement:there is a short circuittest areaat the end of this article. Stay tuned.
Key questions:
Let's start with the structure.
The Structural Difference Between DNA and RNA:
DNA is a double-stranded biomolecule made up of two polynucleotide chains, whereas RNA is a single-stranded biomolecule made up of only one.polynucleotide chains.“
Why is DNA double stranded? Well, it's still a mystery, but scientists believe that it is DNA that is most susceptible to damage, it is the genetic material in almost all living things. So if one of the strands is damaged, a second strand can be used to repair it or form another complementary strand like this one.
Interestingly, some double-stranded RNAs are also found in eukaryotes, also calledmicroARNosiRNA.
Functionally, microRNA cannot make proteins, but instead helpsRegulation of gene expressionthrough the mechanism of RNA interference. EITHERdsRNA is present in very small amounts.
Largo:
"The length of DNA is much greater compared to RNA."
A genome of nodes contains coding and non-coding types of DNA, arranged inchromosomes.
If you stretch out all the DNA in a cell, it's actually 10 feet long. Therefore, it is very important to incorporate it into the cell.DNA packagingit allows you to organize it into chromosomes and fit into the cell.
By contrast, RNA is a functional end product that is transcribed from DNA, so it is much shorter than DNA (other non-coding sequences are removed).
The complete human genome contains 3.2 billion base pairs, while the total RNA of a cell is only a few kb in length.
Zucker:
although bothnucleic acidsare almost similar, DNA consists ofdeoxyribose sugar while RNA is made up ofjust ribose sugar.
The deoxyribose sugar lacks an oxygen molecule and carries a hydrogen atom on carbon 2 instead of a hydroxyl group.
On the other hand,Ribose is a simple sugar thatit has an oxygen molecule with an extra hydroxyl group on carbon 2. See the image below,
During the catalytic reaction, the difference in oxygen makes it easier for enzymes to distinguish DNA from RNA.
Likeness:Both are five-carbon pentose sugars that form a nucleotide by pairing with base and phosphate (sugar + base + phosphate = nucleotide).
Pool:
DNA is made up of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine while RNA is made up of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
how did you realize"Instead of thymine, RNA contains uracil, which is another big difference between DNA and RNA."
Likeness:DNA and RNA are made up of nitrogenous basesPurina and pyramid.
Two strands of DNA are connected by hydrogen bonds: two between adenine and thymine and three between cytosine and guanine.
On the other hand, when RNA is double-stranded, it is held together by hydrogen bonds: two hydrogen bonds between adenine and uracil and three hydrogen bonds between cytosine and guanine.
Ort:
DNA resides in the nucleus of a cell, while RNA is synthesized in a cell but travels to the cytoplasm and produces proteins at the site of the ribosome.
However, some DNA is also present in membrane-bound organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. read belowDNA organellehere.
Synthesis difference between DNA and RNA:
"DNA is synthesizedby a DNA polymerase enzyme during the replication process while RNA is being synthesizedby an RNA polymerase enzyme during transcription.
“The process of RNA synthesis has returnedwhile the DNA synthesis process required a short single-stranded primer (not de novo)”.
This clearly shows that no primer (nucleic acid) is required for RNA synthesis by RNA polymerase.
Related article:DNA polymerase x RNA polymerase.
Structurally, RNA is made up of loops and rods, while DNA is a double-stranded coiled structure arranged in chromosomes. However, some DNA molecules also have an additional tetraplex, quadruplex, or alpha-helix structure.
Some DNA also exists in circular and linear forms.
The Functional Difference Between DNA and RNA:
The main function of DNA is to store information in a population and transmit it from one generation to the next. To do this, the DNA is replicated: it is duplicated and passed on to the daughter cells.
Therefore inherited from one generation to another.
On the other hand, the function of RNA is to make a protein.
In fact, RNA takes the coding information from DNA through transcription and translates it into a chain of amino acids. (A long chain of amino acid and polypeptide chains makes proteins.)
Based on this, another difference between the two is that
"DNA replicates itself, while RNA is only synthesized from DNA when needed."
Different types of DNA:
DNA in nature is found in five different forms: A-DNA, B-DNA, C-DNA, D-DNA, and Z-DNA.
The B form of DNA is found in almost all living organisms.and is more common in nature. That's itRight-handed DNA with one major and one minor groove. It has 10.5 base pairs per helix turn.
The A form of DNA is also right handed, but the helix is wider than the B form of DNA. It has a major groove and a minor groove and 11 base pairs per turn of the helix.
Z-shaped DNA is left-handed and lacks the main groove. It has 12 base pairs per turn of the helix.
C-shaped DNA is a very rare variant with 9.33 base pairs per turn of the helix. The D shape is also extremely rare.
Different types of RNA:
mRNA:a messenger RNA encodes an amino acid to form a polypeptide chain.
ARNt:A blot RNA then helps transfer the amino acids to the translation site in the cytoplasm of the ribosome.
rRNA:a cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA is a component of the ribosome necessary for protein synthesis.
Other smaller RNAs:other smaller fragments of dsRNA called microRNA and siRNA are also present in a cell.
Some other differences:
"From now on, the alkaline state is more favorable for DNA, DNA is more stable in alkaline conditions, but RNA is not."
DNA is made up of the major and minor grooves, the minor groove does not allow the enzyme to bind, so it is very difficult for the nuclease to bind to the DNA and destroy it.
In contrast, RNA is single-stranded and does not have a small groove structure, it can be easily attacked and destroyed by a nuclease.
However, RNA degradation and resynthesis occur continuously in a cell, faster than DNA.
"DNA is less reactive due to stable deoxyribose-CH bonds, while RNA is more reactive due to ribose-OH bonds."
“A DNA genome also contains methylated DNA that cannot be expressed.On the other hand, none of the RNAs are methylated.”
Another important difference between DNA and RNA is their susceptibility to ultraviolet rays.
Ultraviolet Rays: UV rays are one of the most common types of natural radiation.mutagenoIt damages our DNA.
A mutagenic UV damages our DNA and causes genetic mutations.DNA is more susceptible to damage from UV rays, while RNA is comparatively resistant to UV rays.
A little more…
DNA is double-stranded and longer, while RNA is shorter and single-stranded, so RNA migrates over DNA in a gel. If you see a spot above the DNA band on a gel, your DNA is contaminated with RNA.
DNA extraction is even easier than RNA extraction; RNase is everywhere, including on our hands and other instruments, so RNA can be easily degraded or destroyed during isolation.
Meanwhile, an additional reverse transcription step is required.RNA sequencingbut not in DNA sequencing. The extracted RNA is first reverse transcribed into cDNA and then processed for sequencing.
Some of the different types of RNA are summarized here:shortcut RNA types profession mRNA Boten-ARN protein codes ARNt RNA transfer Transfer amino acids to the translation site. rRNA ARN ribosomale Catalyze the translation reaction. miARN microARN gene regulation siRNA small interfering RNA Gene regulation and maintenance of gene expression. LncRNA long noncoding RNA Transcriptional regulation and epigenetic regulation. ARNsn small nuclear RNA Assist in mRNA splicing and related functions ARNsno small nucleolar RNA Helps modify RNA nucleotides. ARNip Piwi interspersed RNA role in defenseagainst transposon; transposon defenseSystem. scaARN Cajal-specific small RNA body It also helps with nucleotide modifications (a type of snoRNA). ARNsh small hairpin RNA The synthetic RNA molecule helps regulate the gene and control gene expression.
Here are some of the differences you should know about DNA and RNA. Now let's talk about similarities.
Similarities Between DNA and RNA:
Both apparently belong to the class of macromolecules called nucleic acids and are genetic material.
Both are formed by five pentoses from carbon, sugar, phosphate and nitrogenous bases.
Both are polynucleotide chains made up of a single nucleotide unit or monomers.
Both biomolecules are synthesized by the polymerase enzyme.
Conveniently, both DNA and RNA can be precipitated with alcohol.
DNA in short:
DNA is a unit of heredity made up of nucleotides and is present in all living organisms on earth. A functional unit of DNA is known as aGene, an alternative form of a gene: the alleles are found on the chromosomes.
B-form DNA with symmetry to the right is most commonly found in almost all organisms.
The complete haploid set of all DNA is called a genome, our genome contains approximately 3.2 billion base pairs.
Read the article:History of DNA: The structure and function of DNA..
RNA in brief:
RNA is aSingle-stranded nucleic acid molecule also composed of sugar, phosphate, and nitrogenous bases. mRNA is transcribed from DNA, which codes for a long chain of amino acids..
Instead of thymine, the RNA has uracil in its place and is synthesized by RNA polymerase.
Also, RNA is genetic material in some of the viruses called retroviruses.
Read for RNA:RNA structure and function.
Article Summary:
| comparison | DNS | ARN |
| Name | deoxyribose nucleic acid | ribose nucleic acid |
| profession | Storage and transmission of information. | coding protein |
| Base Nitrogenada | adenine,thymine, cytosine and guanine. | adenine,uracil, cytosine and guanine. |
| spiral shape | Right-handed B-shaped DNA | A-shaped single-stranded RNA. |
| Slot | large and small slots | Big slots only. |
| synthesis | During replication by DNA polymerase | During transcription by RNA polymerase |
| Zucker | deoxyribose | D-ribose |
| Largo | up to 3 meters (whole genome) | Much shorter than DNA. |
| ort | It is found in the cell nucleus (mitochondria and chloroplasts). | Synthesized in the nucleus and functions in the cytoplasm. |
| nuclease activity | Less prone to nuclease | More susceptible to nuclease. |
Related article:The Fundamentals of Genetics: A Beginner's Guide to Learning Genetics.
Conclusion:
Scientists believe that RNA evolved first, before DNA, and is therefore now present in some viruses. However, the exact reason why DNA evolved is still unknown, as the final polypeptide product is translated from mRNA with the help of tRNA and rRNA.
However, the main difference between DNA and RNA is not the bases they contain, but rather the sugars that make them unique. Deoxysugar drives DNA making it more stable and less reactive, while RNA is more reactive due to ribose and is easily degraded by nucleases.
(A)What is missing in the DNA?
- adenine
- guanine
- uracil
- thymine
(B)RNA is synthesized by?
- DNA polymerase
- RNA polymerase
- ligasa
- helicosa
(C)Is RNA the genetic material of various?
- bacteria
- Planta
- nematodes
- Virus
(D)DNA consists of _______
- polynucleotide chains
- Polypeptide
- carboxylic acid chain
- amino acid chain
(MI)What is a nucleotide?
- Zucker + Base
- sugar + phosphate
- sugar + phosphate + base
- Base + Phosphate
Answers:
(A): 3- Uracilo. (B): 2-ARN-polimerasa. (C): 4- Virus. (D): 1-polynucleotide chains.(ES): 3-sugar + phosphate + base.
Resources:
- Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular biology of the cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. The structure and function of DNA.Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26821/.
- Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular biology of the cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. From DNA to RNA.Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26887/.
- Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular biology of the cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. From RNA to Protein.Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26829/.
FAQs
What are the differences and similarities of DNA vs RNA? ›
While both DNA and RNA have sugar molecules in their subunits, those sugars are slightly different. DNA uses deoxyribose, but RNA uses ribose, which has an extra hydroxyl group (OH−) tacked on. DNA and RNA also have nearly identical nitrogenous bases. Both have the bases adenine, cytosine, and guanine.
What are the similarities between RNA and DNA? ›Both the molecules of DNA and RNA are formed of monomers known as nucleotides. Both these molecules possess four nitrogenous bases. Both the molecules of DNA and RNA exhibit a phosphate backbone to which attachment of bases takes place.
What are the similarities and differences between DNA and RNA quizlet? ›The three main differences between RNA and DNA is that (1) The sugar in RNA is ribose instead of deoxyribose, (2) RNA is generally single-stranded and not double-stranded , and (3) RNA contain uracil in place of thymine.
What are the main differences between DNA and RNA? ›There are two differences that distinguish DNA from RNA: (a) RNA contains the sugar ribose, while DNA contains the slightly different sugar deoxyribose (a type of ribose that lacks one oxygen atom), and (b) RNA has the nucleobase uracil while DNA contains thymine.
What are the 4 main differences between DNA and RNA? ›Summary of Differences Between DNA and RNA
DNA is a double-stranded molecule, while RNA is a single-stranded molecule. DNA is stable under alkaline conditions, while RNA is not stable. DNA and RNA perform different functions in humans.
RNA, containing a ribose sugar, is more reactive than DNA and is not stable in alkaline conditions. RNA's larger helical grooves mean it is more easily subject to attack by enzymes. DNA is vulnerable to damage by ultraviolet light. RNA is more resistant to damage from UV light than DNA.
What are the similarities between DNA and RNA quizlet? ›- DNA and RNA both have 3 nitrogenous bases: Adenine, Cytosine and Guanine. - DNA and RNA both have a phosphate groups in their nucleotides. Sometimes called phosphoric acid. - They both have the base pair of Guanine and Cytosine.
What is the difference between DNA and RNA virus? ›DNA viruses contain usually double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) and rarely single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA). These viruses replicate using DNA‐dependent DNA polymerase. RNA viruses have typically ssRNA, but may also contain dsRNA. ssRNA viruses can be further grouped as positive‐sense (ssRNA(+)) or negative‐sense (ssRNA(−)).
What are the similarities and differences between DNA replication and RNA transcription explain? ›Both DNA Replication and Transcription involve the generation of a new copy of the DNA in a cell. DNA transcription is involved in replicating the DNA into RNA, while DNA replication makes another copy of DNA. Both processes are involved in the production of new nucleic acids- DNA or RNA.
Which of these is a difference between DNA and RNA quizlet? ›Which of these is a difference between a DNA and an RNA molecule? DNA contains nitrogenous bases, whereas RNA contains phosphate groups.
Which of the following options explains a similarity between DNA and RNA in terms of their chemical structure? ›
So, the correct option is 'The nucleotides of both molecules contain a phosphate group. '
Does RNA and DNA react similarly? ›Although RNA polymerase catalyzes essentially the same chemical reaction as DNA polymerase, there are some important differences between the two enzymes. First, and most obvious, RNA polymerase catalyzes the linkage of ribonucleotides, not deoxyribonucleotides.
What are DNA and RNA both types of? ›Nucleic acids, macromolecules made out of units called nucleotides, come in two naturally occurring varieties: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
What is the relationship between DNA and RNA quizlet? ›DNA is transcribed to RNA which is translated to protein. Build an RNA molecule that is complementary to a DNA molecule. In transcription, RNA uses a gene in the DNA to create a strand of messenger RNA (mRNA). Then it reads the DNA's base molecules and creates a strand of mRNA using complementary base molecules.
How are mRNA and RNA similar? ›There are several different types of RNA. One type of RNA is known as mRNA, which stands for “messenger RNA.” mRNA is RNA that is read by ribosomes to build proteins. While all types of RNA are involved in building proteins, mRNA is the one that actually acts as the messenger.
What are the functions of DNA and RNA? ›Nucleic acids, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), carry genetic information which is read in cells to make the RNA and proteins by which living things function. The well-known structure of the DNA double helix allows this information to be copied and passed on to the next generation.
Which of the following best describes a structural difference between DNA and RNA? ›Which of the following BEST explains a structural difference between DNA and RNA? DNA is usually double-stranded, with both strands parallel in directionality, whereas RNA is usually single-stranded.
What are the different types of DNA and RNA viruses? ›They are viruses that possess deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as their genetic material. They are viruses that possess ribonucleic acid (RNA) as their genetic material. The two types include – dsDNA and ssDNA viruses. The two types include – dsRNA and ssRNA viruses.
What are the similarities between DNA replication and RNA replication? ›Some similarities between transcription and DNA replication is that they both use DNA and RNA, they both occur in the nucleus, and they are both catalyzed by a polymerase enzyme.
What are the similarities between DNA replication and RNA synthesis? ›Both processes are intended to work on the genetic material. Both of the processes are aimed at maintaining the integrity of the genetic material. Both of the processes have deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) as the template. The direction of DNA and RNA synthesis takes place from 5' to 3' direction.
What is the difference between DNA and RNA transcription? ›
The most obvious difference is that in the DNA replication, the new DNA string elongated contains thymine that binds adenine, but, in transcription, the RNA produced contains uracile instead of thymine. The goal itself of the two processes is different.
What is the difference between DNA and RNA Quizizz? ›RNA contains sucrose while DNA contains glucose. DNA contains deoxyribose while RNA contains ribose. Two other differences between RNA and DNA involve... the fact that one is composed of purines while the other is composed of pyrimidines.
What base is not found in DNA but only in RNA? ›One of the most important differences between DNA and RNA apart from the sugar molecule is the nitrogenous base Uracil, which is seen only in RNA. Instead of Uracil, DNA has Thymine, while the other three nitrogenous bases (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine) are the same in both RNA and DNA.
What is the difference between the DNA and RNA and how are the two types of nucleic acids functionally related? ›The two main types of nucleic acids are DNA and RNA. Both DNA and RNA are made from nucleotides, each containing a five-carbon sugar backbone, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. DNA provides the code for the cell 's activities, while RNA converts that code into proteins to carry out cellular functions.
What are the similarities between DNA replication and RNA transcription? ›Both DNA Replication and Transcription involve the generation of a new copy of the DNA in a cell. DNA transcription is involved in replicating the DNA into RNA, while DNA replication makes another copy of DNA. Both processes are involved in the production of new nucleic acids- DNA or RNA.
What are the similarities and differences between DNA and RNA virus replication? ›DNA viruses are mostly double-stranded while RNA viruses are single-stranded. RNA mutation rate is higher than the DNA mutation rate. DNA replication takes place in the nucleus while RNA replication takes place in the cytoplasm. DNA viruses are stable while RNA viruses are unstable.