Question

In what way does the structure of DNA differ from RNA?

a) DNA has ribose sugar, while RNA has deoxyribose sugar.
b) DNA is single-stranded, while RNA is double-stranded.
c) DNA contains thymine, while RNA contains uracil.
d) DNA has a helical structure, while RNA is linear.

Answer 1

DNA differs from RNA in that DNA contains deoxyribose sugar and thymine, while RNA contains ribose sugar and uracil. Additionally, DNA is double-stranded and RNA is single-stranded.

Step-by-step explanation:

Differences Between DNA and RNA

The structure of DNA differs from RNA in several ways:

• DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, whereas RNA contains the sugar ribose, which has one more oxygen atom.
• DNA is typically double-stranded with two complementary strands forming a helical structure, while RNA is single-stranded and does not usually form such a long-term complex double helix.
• In DNA, the nucleotide thymine (T) is one of the four bases, while RNA contains uracil (U) instead of thymine.

These differences affect the stability and function of the two types of nucleic acids, with DNA serving as the long-term storage of genetic information and RNA being involved in the process of protein synthesis and regulation.