DNA Vs RNA - Introduction and Differences Between DNA and RNA
DNA Vs RNA - Introduction and Differences Between DNA and RNA
Life on earth is very diverse, from single-celled protozoans to complex multicellular plants and animals. But at the molecular level, all life is fundamentally made up of
the same building blocks – DNA and RNA. One of the primary differences between DNA and RNA is that DNA is double-stranded while RNA is single-stranded.
Table of Contents
• Difference
• DNA
• Structure
• Types
• RNA
• RNA Types
• Proteins
Definition
It is a long polymer. It has a deoxyribose and phosphate backbone having Is a polymer with a ribose and phosphate backbone with four varying bases: uracil,
four distinct bases: thymine, adenine, cytosine and guanine. cytosine, adenine and guanine.
Location
It is located in the nucleus of a cell and in the mitochondria. It is found in the cytoplasm, nucleus and in the ribosome.
Sugar portion
Function
The function of DNA is the transmission of genetic information. It acts as a RNA is critical for the transmission of the genetic code that is necessary for protein
medium for long-term storage. creation from the nucleus to the ribosome.
Predominant Structure
DNA is a double-stranded molecule that has a long chain of nucleotides. RNA is a single-stranded molecule which has a shorter chain of nucleotides.
Propagation
DNA replicates on its own, it is self-replicating. RNA does not replicate on its own. It is synthesized from DNA when required.
The base pairing is as follows: GC (Guanine pairs with Cytosine) A-T The base pairing is as follows: GC (Guanine pairs with Cytosine) A-U (Adenine pairs
(Adenine pairs with Thymine). with Uracil).
DNA
In cells, DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is the nucleic acid that functions as the original blueprint for the synthesis of proteins. DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose,
phosphates and a unique sequence of the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T).
It is made up of nucleotides which contain a nitrogenous group, a phosphate group, and a sugar group. The order of the nitrogenous bases – thymine(T),
guanine(G), cytosine(C), and adenine(A), is crucial in determining the genetic code.
Genes are formed by the order of the nitrogenous bases present in the DNA which is crucial for protein synthesis. RNA is another nucleic acid that translates genetic
information into proteins from DNA.
The nucleotides are linked together for the formation of two long strands which spiral to produce a structure known as the double-helix which resembles that of a
ladder wherein the sugar and phosphate molecules form the sides while the rungs are formed by the bases.
The bases located on one strand pair up with the bases on the other strand, as in – guanine pairs with cytosine and adenine pairs with thymine.
The DNA molecules are extremely long and hence without the right packaging, they cannot fit into cells. Thus, DNA is tightly coiled to produce formations referred to
as chromosomes (https://byjus.com/biology/chromosomes/). Every chromosome has a single DNA molecule. In humans, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes that
are present within the nucleus of the cells.
Types Of DNA
• A-DNA: It is found at a relative humidity of 75%. In an environment where there is a higher salt concentration or ionic concentrations, such as K+, Na+, Cs+ or in
a state of dehydration it endures in a form that contains 11 nucleotide pairs with a rise of 2.56Å vertically per base pair. It has the broadest helical diameter
amongst all DNA forms – 23Å DNA which is a typical helix that is right-handed with a rotation of 32.70 per base pair.
• B-DNA: The most common form, present in most DNA at neutral pH and physiological salt concentrations, is B-form. It has 10 base pairs per turn from the helix
axis. There is a distance of 3.4Å with a helical diameter of 20Å. Watson-Crick’s double helix model is defined as a B-form of DNA.
• C-DNA: It is observed at a relative humidity of 66% and in the occupancy of a few ions such as Lithium(Li+). It closely has 9.33 base pairs for every turn. The
diameter of the helix is about 19Å and the vertical rise for every base pair for the right-handed helix is 3.320.
• D-DNA: It is observed rarely as an extreme variant. The 8 base pairs are titled negatively from the helix axis with an axial rise of about 3.03Å
• Z-DNA: It is found in an environment with a very high salt concentration. Unlike the A, B, and C types of DNA, it is a left-handed helical structure. The backbone is
arranged in a zig-zag pattern formed by the sugar-phosphate linkage wherein the recurrent monomer is the dinucleotide in contrast to the mononucleotide,
which is observed in alternate forms.
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid which is directly involved in protein synthesis. Ribonucleic acid is an important nucleotide with long chains of nucleic acid
present in all living cells. Its main role is to act as a messenger conveying instructions from DNA for controlling protein synthesis.
RNA contains the sugar ribose, phosphates, and the nitrogenous bases adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and uracil (U). DNA and RNA share the nitrogenous
bases A, G, and C. Thymine is usually only present in DNA and uracil is usually only present in RNA.
Types Of RNA
Only some of the genes in cells are expressed into RNA. The following are the types of RNA wherein each type is encoded by its own type of gene:
tRNA– The transfer RNA or the tRNA carries amino acids to ribosomes while translation
• tRNA– The transfer RNA or the tRNA carries amino acids to ribosomes while translation
• mRNA – The messenger RNA or the mRNA encodes amino acid sequences of a polypeptide
• rRNA – The ribosomal RNA or the rRNA produces ribosomes with the ribosomal proteins that are organelles responsible for the translation of the mRNA.
• snRNA – The small nuclear RNA forms the complexes along with proteins which are utilized in RNA processing in the eukaryotes.
Role Of Protein
To place these ideas in the proper context, remember that some proteins are enzymes that aid cells by catalyzing chemical reactions. These chemical reactions
occur after the enzyme binds its substrate at the enzyme’s active site. The enzyme’s active site matches the substrate molecule in size, shape and chemical
properties.
The size, shape, and chemical properties of an enzyme’s active site are due to the combination of the enzyme’s amino acids, which are the individual subunits of the
enzyme. For the cell to reliably make an enzyme, the cell must be able to control the placement of amino acids in a protein during the synthesis of enzymes.
Proteins play a critical role in how cells successfully meet the challenges of living. Cells use proteins to maintain their shape and to speed up important chemical
reactions such as photosynthesis (https://byjus.com/biology/photosynthesis/) and respiration.
A cell will not live long if it cannot reliably create the proteins that it needs for survival.
To learn more about the difference between DNA and RNA, visit BYJU’S Biology. (https://byjus.com/biology/)
Further Reading
DNA and RNA are nearly identical polymers of nucleotides, except for the base pairs. DNA contains thymine while the same is substituted with uracil in RNA.
DNA is located in the nucleus of a cell and in the mitochondria. Meanwhile, RNA is found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and also in ribosomes.
DNA is capable of self-replication but RNA cannot self-replicate instead, it is synthesized from DNA (DNA transcription) when required.
Three out of the four nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA are the same (cytosine, adenine, guanine). They both possess a phosphate backbone to which the
bases attach.
The deoxyribose sugar of DNA contains one less oxygen-containing hydroxyl group. DNA is a more stable nucleic acid. RNA, on the other hand, contains ribose
sugar and is more reactive than DNA. Therefore, DNA is a better genetic material than RNA.
The plant hormone cytokinin helps in the synthesis of protein and RNA. It functions naturally in conjunction with auxins. In the presence of auxins, it promotes cell
division and development. It enables awakening seeds from their dormancy.
Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin!
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nice
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Vishal kachare
August 26, 2019 at 8:36 pm
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Nice
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Innocent Simpanzye
May 8, 2020 at 2:09 am
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It is easy to understand, even for non-biology people like me. It really helps. Thank you so much.
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Zorro Y
May 17, 2020 at 9:25 pm
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Great!
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aditi
June 3, 2020 at 6:00 pm
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really good info for people interested in bio and other sub’s
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enrique A astiz
June 8, 2020 at 9:26 pm
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If RNA cannot replicate itself, then how does COVID 19 reproduce itself?
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Mentor
June 17, 2020 at 5:28 pm
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Viral RNA needs certain cellular components which it can obtain only from its host cell, which in the case of COVID 19, is humans.
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Khushal Das
June 16, 2020 at 2:09 pm
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Dr Patil
August 22, 2020 at 6:52 pm
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Explained in very simple language easy to understand the basics of DNA and RNA
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Timothyeus
October 10, 2020 at 12:09 pm
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Very helpful.
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Unknown
October 11, 2020 at 9:19 pm
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Mentor
March 8, 2021 at 5:38 pm
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1. RNA is considered the carrier of information because it translates the genetic information present in the DNA to proteins.
2. DNA is considered the genetic material as it is inherited from parents to offsprings.
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Avm
February 17, 2021 at 7:12 pm
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Uneberbere
March 6, 2021 at 1:32 am
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HADIA
May 18, 2021 at 2:29 pm
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Thanks, I was actually looking for it, GREAT
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Roro
December 7, 2022 at 8:25 pm
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It is very useful. But also I need detail definition for DNA and RNA.
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Mentor
December 8, 2022 at 1:30 pm
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Thank you. To understand DNA in detail, refer to this link – https://byjus.com/biology/dna-structure/ (https://byjus.com/biology/dna-structure/). More
about the structure of RNA can be learnt from this link – https://byjus.com/biology/structure-of-rna/ (https://byjus.com/biology/structure-of-rna/)
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