BIOMOLECULES AND ENZYMES

BIOLOGY

NUCLEIC ACIDS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
One difference between RNA and DNA is that DNA is a:
A
single helix
B
double helix
C
Either A or B
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -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. DNA replicates on its own, it is self-replicating.

Detailed explanation-2: -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.

Detailed explanation-3: -The double helix is further twisted and wrapped along a structural protein called histones. Conversely, the RNA molecule can form double-stranded structures even though they exist as single-stranded molecules. In this regard, both RNA and DNA have a double helix structure.

Detailed explanation-4: -The order and patterns of these nucleotides form the genetic code. Physically, DNA is structured as a double helix, with two strands of DNA winding around each other, while RNA is structured as a single strand.

Detailed explanation-5: -Although RNA is a single-stranded molecule, researchers soon discovered that it can form double-stranded structures, which are important to its function.

There is 1 question to complete.