DNA and RNA

DNA vs. RNA•DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is like a blueprint of

biological guidelines that a living organism must follow to exist and remain functional. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, helps carry out this blueprint's guidelines. Of the two, RNA is more versatile than DNA, capable of performing numerous, diverse tasks in an organism, but DNA is more stable and holds more complex information for longer periods of time.

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Comparison chart.Stands For DeoxyriboNucleicAcid. RiboNucleicAcid.

Definition A nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all modern living organisms. DNA's genes are expressed, or manifested, through the proteins that its nucleotides produce with the help of RNA.

The information found in DNA determines which traits are to be created, activated, or deactivated, while the various forms of RNA do the work.

Function The blueprint of biological guidelines that a living organism must follow to exist and remain functional. Medium of long-term, stable storage and transmission of genetic information.

Helps carry out DNA's blueprint guidelines. Transfers genetic code needed for the creation of proteins from the nucleus to the ribosome.

Comparison chart.Structure Double-stranded. It has two

nucleotide strands which consist of its phosphate group, five-carbon sugar (the stable 2-deoxyribose), and four nitrogen-containing nucleobases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

Single-stranded. Like DNA, RNA is composed of its phosphate group, five-carbon sugar (the less stable ribose), and four nitrogen-containing nucleobases: adenine, uracil (not thymine), guanine, and cytosine.

Base Pairing

Adenine links to thymine (A-T) and cytosine links to guanine (C-G).

Adenine links to uracil (A-U) and cytosine links to guanine (C-G).

Comparison chart.Location DNA is found in the nucleus of

a cell. Depending on the type of RNA, this molecule is found in a cell's nucleus, its cytoplasm, and its ribosome.

Propagation DNA is self-replicating. RNA is synthesized from DNA when needed.

RNA has several different functions that, though all interconnected, vary slightly depending on the type. There are three main types of RNA:

• Messenger RNA (mRNA) transcribes genetic information from the DNA found in a cell's nucleus, and then carries this information to the cell's cytoplasm and ribosome. • Transfer RNA (tRNA) is found in a cell's cytoplasm and is closely

related to mRNA as its helper. tRNA literally transfers amino acids, the core components of proteins, to the mRNA in a ribosome. • Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is found in a cell's cytoplasm. In the ribosome,

it takes mRNA and tRNA and translates the information they provide. From this information, it "learns" whether it should create, or synthesize, a polypeptide or protein.

Replication vs. Transcription• Cell division is essential for an organism to grow, but when a

cell divides it must replicate the DNA in its genome so that the two daughter cells have the same genetic information as their parent. DNA provides a simple mechanism for replication. In transcription, or RNA synthesis, the codons of a gene are copied into messenger RNA by RNA polymerase.• As opposed to DNA replication, transcription results in an RNA

complement that includes uracil (U) in all instances where thymine (T) would have occurred in a DNA complement.

Comparison chart.Purpose The purpose of replication is to

conserve the entire genome for next generation.

The purpose of transcription is to make RNA copies of individual genes that the cell can use in the biochemistry.

Definition DNA replication is the replication of a strand of DNA into two daughter strands, each daughter strand contains half of the original DNA double helix.

Uses the genes as templates to produce several functional forms of RNA

Comparison chart.Result In replication, the end

result is two daughter cells.While in transcription, the end result is a RNA molecule.

Product Replication is the duplication of two-strands of DNA.

Transcription is the formation of single, identical RNA from the two-stranded DNA.

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