Question

An mRNA strand has the following sequence: c a g a u g u a c g g a c g a u a a. Chains of nucleic acids have directionality and are read in a certain way just like languages are read from 'left to right' or 'right to left.' DNA is always read in the _______ direction, whereas RNA is read in the _______ direction.

1) 5' to 3', 3' to 5'
2) 3' to 5', 5' to 3'
3) left to right, right to left
4) right to left, left to right

Answer 1

Both DNA and RNA are read in the 5' to 3' direction, which refers to the chemical structure ends of the nucleic acid molecules. The enzymes involved in these processes synthesize and read the sequences ensuring accurate replication and transcription of genetic information for protein synthesis.

Step-by-step explanation:

DNA is always read in the 5' to 3' direction, whereas RNA is read in the 5' to 3' direction as well. This is because the enzymes that synthesize the nucleic acids work in this direction, ensuring accuracy in copying and reading nucleic acid sequences. The 5' end of a nucleic acid chain has a phosphate group, whereas the 3' end has a hydroxyl group (-OH). During transcription, RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA in its 5' to 3' direction, using the DNA template strand, which runs antiparallel in a 3' to 5' direction. Each codon on the mRNA is read to translate into an amino acid, with the sequence being preserved from the template DNA strand to the RNA to create the final protein.