Understanding RNA

Everybody knows a little bit about DNA. Everybody has seen a diagram of it and they know how important it is. Thing is not everyone knows about its own cousin RNA. RNA is equally as important as DNA because without RNA, DNA would not be in a position to do anything. RNA stands for Ribonucleic acid unlike DNA which stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. The difference in title just says that DNA lacks an oxygen oxygen molecule over RNA. However, naturally there are far more differences than that.

First if you've seen a diagram of DNA then you will know it looks like a twisting ladder. RNA looks like DNA except its own cut down the center. Therefore it looks like a spiraling thread with bases sticking out towards the middle. The spiral such as DNA is made from sugar and phosphate. Another distinction is the four letters of DNA is A G C and T the 4 letters which are in RNA are A G C and U. The U is a variation of Thymine (T) known as Uracil.

RNA is made by a process called transcribing. The process of transcribing occurs in 4 steps. The first thing is when the DNA "unzips" as there bonds break. The next step will be when the free nucleotides (the spiral's) which will become the RNA pair up with complementary DNA bases. The next step occurs when the spirals take shape from the glucose and phosphate and becomes the backbone. Then the fourth step is when the untwisted bonds that occur between the RNA and the unzipped DNA ladder burst. At this time the newly formed RNA leaves throughout the nuclear pores. At which point it does its workout from the cytoplasm.

There is more than one kind of RNA. The first type is mRNA (messenger RNA). MRNA is the type of RNA you probably consider when you consider RNA. The task of mRNA is to visit the ribosomes of a mobile with a genetic message imprinted to it to tell the ribosomes to make various proteins. Then there is the none-coding RNA called ncRNA. This type of RNA isn't encoded by DNA but rather other RNA. The third type of RNA is known as Transfer-Message RNA (tmRNA) tmRNA is used by certain viruses and bacteria.


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