Question

Which of the following best explains a structural similarity between DNA and RNA?

a) Both have identical sugar molecules.
b) Both contain phosphate groups.
c) Both use uracil as a base.
d) Both have a double helix structure.

Answer 1

DNA and RNA both contain phosphate groups and have a sugar-phosphate backbone, but differ in that DNA is double-stranded with deoxyribose sugar and uses thymine, whereas RNA is single-stranded with ribose sugar and uses uracil.

Step-by-step explanation:

Both DNA and RNA contain phosphate groups, which is a structural similarity between them. DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, whereas RNA contains ribose. Also, while DNA is typically double-stranded with a double helix structure, RNA is single-stranded. Contrary to DNA, which uses thymine as a base, RNA uses uracil. Each nucleotide in both DNA and RNA is composed of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base, forming the backbone of these molecules. It is through this molecular structure that DNA and RNA play critical roles in the genetic functioning of the cell.