The main di!erence between DNA and RNA is the sugar present in the molecules.

While the sugar present in an RNA molecule is ribose, the sugar present in a molecule of DNA is deoxyribose. Deoxyribose is the same as ribose, except that the former has one more OH." DNA does not usually exist as a single molecule, but instead as a tightlyassociated pair of molecules. These two long strands entwine like vines, in the shape of a double helix. This arrangement of DNA strands is called antiparallel. The asymmetric ends of DNA strands are referred to as the 5# (ve prime) and 3# (three prime) ends. One of the major di!erences between DNA and RNA is the sugar, with 2-deoxyribose being replaced by the alternative pentose sugar ribose in RNA. The four bases found in DNA are adenine (abbreviated A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). A fth pyrimidine base, called uracil (U), usually takes the place of thymine in RNA and di!ers from thymine by lacking a methyl group on its ring." " " DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, while RNA is ribonucleic acid. Although DNA and RNA both carry genetic information, there are quite a few di!erences between them. This is a comparison of the di!erences between DNA versus RNA, including a quick summary and a detailed table of the di!erences." Summary of Di!erences Between DNA and RNA" " DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose, while RNA contains the sugar ribose. The only di!erence between ribose and deoxyribose is that ribose has one more -OH group than deoxyribose, which has -H attached to the second (2') carbon in the ring." DNA is a double stranded molecule while RNA is a single stranded molecule." DNA is stable under alkaline conditions while RNA is not stable." DNA and RNA perform di!erent functions in humans. DNA is responsible for storing and transferring genetic information while RNA directly codes for amino acids and as acts as a messenger between DNA and ribosomes to make proteins." DNA and RNA base pairing is slightly di!erent, since DNA uses the bases adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine; RNA uses adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine. Uracil di!ers from thymine in that it lacks a methyl

group on its ring." " Q: What is the di!erence between DNA and RNA? " " A: DNA contains all of the genetic information necessary to construct cells, to integrate them into an organism and to maintain them. RNA translates this information into specic instructions for the assembly of proteins, transmits the information outside the cell nucleus and helps to assemble them. Each DNA molecule contains hundreds of millions of atoms in a specic and unique sequence." " The DNA molecule is shaped like a ladder twisted into a spiral, like a telephone cord. The rungs of the ladder are molecules called nucleotides; the rail of the ladder consists of alternating molecules of sugar and phosphate. There are four nucleotides, each of which is half of a complementary base pair. Each nucleotide ts into its mate on the opposite rail like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When a cell reproduces a segment of the DNA ladder unzips." " The base pairs separate and expose the nucleotides. Each exposed nucleotide attracts its complement from chemicals present in the cell nucleus. The result is two new ladders, each of which is identical to the original. At other times short sections of DNA unzip to expose a certain sequence of base pairs, called a gene. This is where RNA comes in. RNA is similar to DNA in some ways." " Nucleotides in RNA are held together by sugars and phosphates. RNA di!ers from DNA in that each RNA molecule is only a single strand of nucleotides, and is much shorter. An RNA molecule is created by matching the sequence of exposed nucleotides on the unzipped DNA molecule. The RNA is an inverse copy of the gene, like a negative lm image. Encoded in it is the information which will be decoded and translated to make the proteins which form the basis of life. Our physical being is an assemblage of thousands of proteins of various types." " Structural materials like skin, claws, nails, bones, hair, muscles and the hard bodies of insects and shellsh are proteins. Enzymes are proteins, as are chemicals like insulin and hemoglobin. Proteins are the chemicals of

life. The proteins and nucleotide sequence is slightly di!erent for each individual. The types of proteins and the length of DNA are di!erent for each species. But we share with all other people and all other forms of life the same set of amino acids, the same nucleotides and the same genetic code." " " " " " "