What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Answer 1

RNA and DNA differ by just two small chemical properties. First, RNA has one more oxygen group on the sugar backbone than DNA has (this is the difference between ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid). Second, in eukaryotic cells, RNA uses uracil to pair with adenine while in DNA it is thymine that pairs with adenine.

Specifically in eukaryotic cells, DNA is formed of two complementary strands while RNA is typically single-stranded. DNA is the genetic material of the cell while RNA is the messenger, translator and assembler of proteins based upon the DNA instructions. However, these are not universal restrictions - viruses can use single stranded RNA, double stranded RNA, single stranded DNA or double stranded DNA as their genetic material.

1. DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA contains the sugar ribose. The only difference between ribose and deoxyribose is that ribose has one more -OH group than deoxyribose, which has -H attached to the second (2') carbon in the ring.
2. DNA is a double stranded molecule while RNA is a single stranded molecule.
3. DNA is stable under alkaline conditions while RNA is not stable.
4. DNA and RNA perform different functions in humans. DNA is responsible for storing and transferring genetic information while RNA directly codes for amino acids and as acts as a messenger between DNA and ribosomes to make proteins.
5. DNA and RNA base pairing is slightly different, since DNA uses the bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine; RNA uses adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine. Uracil differs from thymine in that it lacks a methyl group on its ring.