Structure of RNA

Introduction to RNA

• RNA, or Ribonucleic Acid, is a vital molecule in biology.
• It plays various roles in the cell, including protein synthesis and carrying genetic information.

RNA Structure

• RNA is composed of nucleotides, just like DNA.
• Nucleotides are the building blocks of RNA and consist of three components: a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Nucleotide Bonding

• RNA nucleotides are joined together to form a single-stranded molecule.
• These nucleotides are linked by strong covalent bonds between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of the next.
• This bond forms the backbone of the RNA molecule.

Differences Between RNA and DNA

RNA differs from DNA in several key ways:

1. Single Stranded: RNA is single-stranded, whereas DNA is double-stranded with two complementary strands.
2. Sugar Type: RNA contains a sugar called ribose, while DNA has deoxyribose as its sugar component.
3. Nitrogenous Bases: RNA includes the base uracil (U), whereas DNA contains thymine (T) instead of uracil (U).

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Structure of RNA

Significance of RNA

• RNA is crucial in protein synthesis. It acts as a messenger (mRNA) to carry genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.
• RNA also plays roles in various cellular processes, including ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for protein assembly and transfer RNA (tRNA) for delivering amino acids during protein synthesis.