DNA Vs RNA

               Deoxyribonucleic acid and Ribonucleic acid are nucleic acids made up of nucleotides. They both are essential molecules for storing and reading genetic information in an organism.  Let us see the differences between them!

Comparison	DNA	RNA
Full form	Deoxyribonucleic acid	Ribonucleic acid
Structure	Longer chain, double-stranded arranged in double helix made up of deoxyribonucleotides	Shorter chain, single-stranded made up of ribonucleotides
Nucleotide	A nitrogenous base, 2’-deoxyribose sugar and phosphate group	A nitrogenous base, ribose sugar, and phosphate group
Function	Stores all genetic information of an organism	Involved in protein synthesis
Nitrogenous bases	Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C)	Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Uracil (U) and Cytosine (C)
Nitrogenous base pairs	AT and GC	AU and GC
Location	Present in the nucleus, some amount of DNA also seen in mitochondria	Found in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and ribosome
Replication	Self-replicating	Synthesized by transcription when it is needed (DNA to RNA conversion)
Stability	More stable than RNA due to the 2’-deoxyribose. Also, thymine (5’-methyl uracil) makes DNA stable	Less stable than DNA due to the presence of the 2’-hydroxyl group which is more prone to hydrolysis
Reactivity	Less reactive than RNA, does not have any free groups to make DNA more reactive	The free 2’-hydroxyl group make RNA more reactive

 

References :

• Mackenzie, R. J. (2021, November 25). DNA vs. RNA – 5 Key Differences and Comparison. Genomics Research from Technology Networks. https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/lists/what-are-the-key-differences-between-dna-and-rna-296719
• Latham, K. (2021, January 22). DNA vs. RNA. Biology Dictionary. https://biologydictionary.net/dna-vs-rna/