Back RNS Afrikaans አር ኤን ኤ Amharic Acido ribonucleico AN حمض نووي ريبوزي Arabic Ácidu ribonucleico AST Ribonuklein turşusu Azerbaijani اسید ریبونوکلئیک AZB Рибонуклеин кислотаһы (РНК) Bashkir RNA BCL Рыбануклеінавыя кіслоты Byelorussian
RNA is an acronym for ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid. Many different kinds are now known.[1]
RNA is physically different from DNA. DNA has two intercoiled strands, but RNA only has one strand. RNA also has different bases than DNA. These bases are adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
Adenine bonds with uracil. Guanine bonds with cytosine. In this way, we say that adenine is complementary to uracil and that guanine is complementary to cytosine. Adenine, guanine and cytosine are also in DNA. In RNA, uracil replaces thymine as a complement to adenine.
RNA also has ribose. This is different from the deoxyribose in DNA. These differences result in RNA being more chemically reactive than DNA. This makes it the more suitable molecule to take part in cell reactions.
RNA is the carrier of genetic information in certain viruses, especially retroviruses like HIV. This is the only exception to the general rule that DNA is the hereditary substance.
- ↑ Only the most important are described here. A complete list is available at en:List of RNAs.