DNA and RNA

DNA and RNA are two different nucleic acids found in the cells of every living organism. Both have significant roles to play in cell biology. DNA and RNA structure are similar because they both consist of long chains of nucleotide units. However, there are a few structural details that distinguish them from each other, and if you are to compare DNA and RNA, these would be the results:

RNA is single-stranded while DNA is a double-stranded helix. RNA also has uracil as its base while the DNA base is thymine. However, even with the differences in their structures, DNA and RNA have cooperating roles in the field of Cell Biology.

DNA contains the genetic information of an organism, and this information dictates how the body’s cells would construct new proteins according to the genetic code of the organism. Within the cell structure, DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes, which are duplicated during cell division.

These chromosomes would then release the genetic codes that will be transcribed and carried by the RNA (specifically the messenger RNA) to the ribosome. The ribosome will then synthesize new proteins that will help the body grow. This is the how the DNA and RNA work together in the body.

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What is DNA?

Deoxyribose Nucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid present in the cells of all living organisms. It is often referred to as the “building blocks of life,” since DNA encodes the genetic material which determines what an organism will develop into. In addition to maintaining the genetic blueprints for its parent organism, DNA also performs a number of other functions which are critical to life.

This nucleic acid was first identified in 1889, when researcher Friedrich Miescher found a substance he called “nuclein” in human cells. In the early 20th century, several researchers including Phoebus Levene and William Astbury performed additional research on nuclein, beginning to understand its components, structure, and role in life.

Each DNA molecule consists of two long strands that are wrapped around each other. Because of this, the DNA structure resembles a double spiral “staircase” or a helix.

Each rung of the DNA ladder is composed of two substances, known as bases, which lock together. All in all, there are four different types of bases, and together they create four different kinds of rungs. The exact DNA sequencing of these rungs makes up a cell’s chemical information. This DNA information is vital since it shapes the cell’s development and regulates every single detail of how a cell should work. DNA contains chemical information known as genes. These genes are individual instructions in the code that tells the body’s cells how to produce new proteins.

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