Final answer:
The chemical difference between DNA and RNA is that RNA contains uracil instead of the base thymine, which is found in DNA. Additionally, RNA is typically single-stranded with a ribose sugar backbone, versus the double-stranded deoxyribose sugar backbone of DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
One chemical difference between DNA and RNA is that RNA has the base uracil instead of the base T. In DNA, the nitrogenous base thymine (T) pairs with adenine (A), but in RNA, uracil (U) takes its place, pairing up with adenine during protein synthesis. Both nucleic acids share the other three nitrogenous bases: adenine, cytosine, and guanine.
Moreover, these nucleic acids contain different sugars in their nucleotide structures. DNA has deoxyribose sugar, whereas RNA contains ribose sugar. RNA's structure is also typically single-stranded, compared to DNA's double-stranded helix.