Question

Distinguish between DNA and RNA​

Answer 1

1> DNA      

• DeoxyriboNucleic Acid
• Long-term storage of genetic information; transmission of genetic information to make other cells and new organisms.
• B-form double helix. DNA is a double-stranded molecule consisting of a long chain of nucleotides.
• deoxyribose sugar, phosphate backbone, adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine bases    
• DNA is self-replicating.
• It is base paired with  AT (adenine-thymine) and GC (guanine-cytosine)
• The C-H bonds in DNA make it fairly stable, plus the body destroys enzymes that would attack DNA. The small grooves in the helix also serve as protection, providing minimal space for enzymes to attach.
• DNA is susceptible to UV damage.

2> RNA

• RiboNucleic Acid
• Used to transfer the genetic code from the nucleus to the ribosomes to make proteins. RNA is used to transmit genetic information in some organisms and may have been the molecule used to store genetic blueprints in primitive organisms.
• A-form helix. RNA usually is a single-strand helix consisting of shorter chains of nucleotides.
• ribose sugar, phosphate backbone, adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil bases
• RNA is synthesized from DNA on an as-needed basis.
• AU (adenine-uracil)
• GC (guanine-cytosine)
• Reactivity
• The C-H bonds in DNA make it fairly stable, plus the body destroys enzymes that would attack DNA. The small grooves in the helix also serve as protection, providing minimal space for enzymes to attach.
• The O-H bond in the ribose of RNA makes the molecule more reactive, compared with DNA. RNA is not stable under alkaline conditions, plus the large grooves in the molecule make it susceptible to enzyme attack. RNA is constantly produced, used, degraded, and recycled.  
• Compared with DNA, RNA is relatively resistant to UV damage.