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when rna is hydrolysed, there is no relationship among the quantities of different bases obtained. what does this fact suggest about the structure of rna?

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Final answer:

The lack of a consistent relationship among bases when RNA is hydrolysed reflects its versatile structure and function, differing from DNA's strict base pairing rules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The observation that when RNA is hydrolysed, there is no consistent relationship among the quantities of different bases suggests that the structure of RNA is not as predictable as that of DNA, in which the amount of adenine equals thymine and cytosine equals guanine due to base pairing rules. RNA is single-stranded and can fold into various three-dimensional shapes due to internal hydrogen bonding.

This allows RNA to have a more versatile structure with extensive intramolecular base pairing that is not limited to the strict base pairing rules seen in double-stranded DNA. As a result, the bases in RNA are incorporated based on their function and the RNA's role within the cell, which can be highly variable. Therefore, when RNA is hydrolysed, the resulting base quantities reflect the diverse functions and structures of RNA, rather than a uniform stoichiometric relationship.

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