Question

1. What is the difference between RNA and DNA?

2. Which organisms contain RNA?

3. Which organisms contain DNA?

4. Which one makes makes protein?

Answer 1

1. RNA contains uracil instead of thymine, it is really just a thymine missing a methyl group. This makes a surprising amount of difference in its properties. There are also many types of RNA (mRNA, tRNA, etc), but only one type of DNA.

2. All organisms contain RNA, but if they are looking for an organism that uses RNA for encoding genes, there are a number of viruses which lack DNA and instead use RNA (retroviruses for example).

3. Again, with the exception of a few viruses, all organisms contain DNA as it is a superior molecule for storing information compared to RNA.

4. This is a poorly worded question, I assume they mean that proteins are synthesized using an RNA template (translation). It is the ribosomes which are making the proteins, although they contain large subunits of RNA as well.

Hope this is helpful!

Answer 2

RNA = ribo nuclic acid
DNA= dioxi ribo nuclic acid

Answer 3

@brendanchandler88 I'm sorry this is a poorly worded question, I just don't really know the differences between RNA and DNA

Answer 4

DNA contains the bases A, T, C and G
RNA conatins the bases A, U, C and G

DNA is more stable due to this difference, and so is better for long term storage of information. RNA can act more similar to proteins (for example enzyme activity has been found in some RNAs) and so it is hypothesized that life started as RNA based and evolved to use DNA for more accurate storage of genetic information.

Is that better? I can go on :P

Answer 5

You can go on? You don't mind at all?

Answer 6

@brendanchandler88