
Why is DNA a better genetic material than RNA? The deoxyribose
Deoxyribose
Deoxyribose, or more precisely 2-deoxyribose, is a monosaccharide with idealized formula H₃−H. Its name indicates that it is a deoxy sugar, meaning that it is derived from the sugar ribose by loss of an oxygen atom. Since the pentose sugars arabinose and ribose only differ by the stereoche…
What are the 4 main differences between DNA and RNA?
Summary of Differences Between DNA and RNA
- DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA contains the sugar ribose. ...
- DNA is a double-stranded molecule, while RNA is a single-stranded molecule.
- DNA is stable under alkaline conditions, while RNA is not stable.
- DNA and RNA perform different functions in humans. ...
How do you compare and contrast DNA and RNA?
- DNA contains deoxyribose sugars while RNA contains ribose sugars.
- DNA is double stranded (anti-parallel) while RNA is single stranded.
- DNA tends to be very long while RNA tends to be relatively short.
- There is only one type of DNA but three types of RNA (mRNA, tRNA and rRNA).
Why is DNA more stable than RNA in alkaline medium?
The presence of the free 2' OH in the ribose sugar makes RNA more susceptible to degradation under alkaline conditions. DNA molecules contain the sugar deoxyribose and lack the 2' OH found in ribose sugars, so DNA is more stable. 4. What parts of DNA make up a transcription unit? Draw a typical bacterial transcription unit and identify its parts.
Why is DNA used as genetic material not RNA?
RNA acts as a messenger for DNA in the process of protein synthesis. Though both the nucleic acids can act as genetic material, DNA is much more preferred. DNA is stable both chemically and structurally which make it well-built genetic material.

Is DNA or RNA stronger?
Hydrogen Bonds of RNA Are Stronger than Those of DNA, but NMR Monitors Only Presence of Methyl Substituent in Uracil/Thymine.
Why DNA is more suitable than RNA?
While DNA contains deoxyribose, RNA contains ribose, characterised by the presence of the 2′-hydroxyl group on the pentose ring (Figure 5). This hydroxyl group make RNA less stable than DNA because it is more susceptible to hydrolysis.
What is the biggest difference between DNA and RNA?
The most obvious difference is that DNA is a double-stranded molecule, while RNA is single-stranded. DNA is also much longer than RNA. An entire chromosome is actually just one molecule of DNA. While both DNA and RNA have sugar molecules in their subunits, those sugars are slightly different.
Why is RNA so unstable?
RNA is typically single-stranded. Rather than deoxyribose, RNA is composed of ribose sugars. The hydroxyl group in it makes it more unstable compared to DNA as it is more prone to hydrolysis and degradation.
What is the main job of RNA?
The primary function of RNA is to create proteins via translation. RNA carries genetic information that is translated by ribosomes into various proteins necessary for cellular processes. mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA are the three main types of RNA involved in protein synthesis.
What can RNA do that DNA Cannot?
Unlike DNA, RNA can also shape-shift to an extent, and so can serve as an RNA-based enzyme, or ribozyme. RNA's greater flexibility over DNA comes in part from the extra oxygen on RNA's ribose sugar, which makes the molecule less stable, biologist Merlin Crossley wrote in The Conversation.
How do DNA and RNA differ?
There are two differences that distinguish DNA from RNA: (a) RNA contains the sugar ribose, while DNA contains the slightly different sugar deoxyribose (a type of ribose that lacks one oxygen atom), and (b) RNA has the nucleobase uracil while DNA contains thymine.
Where is RNA found?
Answer and Explanation: The two places that RNA is found in the cell is the nucleus and the cytoplasm. RNA is synthesized from DNA during the process of transcription, which...
What is the composition of DNA and RNA?
DNA and RNA are nearly identical polymers of nucleotides, except for the base pairs. DNA contains thymine while the same is substituted with uracil...
Where are DNA and RNA found?
DNA is located in the nucleus of a cell and in the mitochondria. Meanwhile, RNA is found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and also in ribosomes.
How does propagation occur in DNA and RNA?
DNA is capable of self-replication but RNA cannot self-replicate instead, it is synthesized from DNA (DNA transcription) when required.
What is the similarity between DNA and RNA?
Three out of the four nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA are the same (cytosine, adenine, guanine). They both possess a phosphate backbone to which t...
Why is DNA a better genetic material than RNA?
The deoxyribose sugar of DNA contains one less oxygen-containing hydroxyl group. DNA is a more stable nucleic acid. RNA, on the other hand, contain...