RNA vs. DNA
The Truth
By Sean Thurston, Shaun Wright, Sarah
Bird,and David Wimhurst
Contents
• DNA, what is it?
• RNA, what is it?
• Protein Synthesis, how?
• Differences and Similarities
DNA: The Facts
DNA has a Double Helix shape. This
shape is due to hydrogen bonds.
D.N.A. STRUCTURE
• DNA is also known as
deoxyribonucleic acid. It
is a polymer, which is
made up of smaller,
similar molecules, which
coil together to form
chains. DNA is described
as a (double helix). This is
because it forms a 3D
Structure. A DNA
molecule can be copied
perfectly over and over
again.
Nucleotides
The smaller molecules that make up
DNA are called nucleotides.
Nucleotides are made up of three
main components.
Nitrogen containing base.
A Pentose sugar.
A phosphate group.
There are 4 different nitrogencontaining bases that are found in
DNA…
Adenine (A)
Thymine (T)
Guanine (G)
Cytosine (C)
Nucleotides & Polynucleotides
To form Polynucleotides many
nucleotides are linked together to
form a long chain. The nucleotides
are held together by covalent
bonds.
DNA molecules are made of 2
polynucleotide strands lying side
by side. They are held together by
hydrogen bonds.
The bases found in DNA pair in
certain ways.
• Adenine always pairs with
Thymine.
• Guanine always pairs with
Cytosine.
RNA: The Facts
• RNA is Ribonucleic Acid
• There are two types of RNA, mRNA is messenger RNA,
and tRNA is Transfer RNA
• It contains the sugar Ribose
• The four bases in RNA differ to DNA in the inclusion of
Uracil, and the exclusion of Thymine
The sugar Ribose
Protein Synthesis
• Both types of RNA are used in
protein synthesis.
• mRNA is formed from a single
strand of DNA.
• The mRNA leaves the nucleus
and attaches to a ribosome
Protein Synthesis
• In the cytoplasm is tRNA.
• One end of the tRNA has a triplet
of bases.
• tRNA picks up Amino acids and
brings them to the mRNA on the
ribosome
• The triplet on the tRNA pairs up
with the triplet on the mRNA.
• The amino acids which are now
side by side form peptide bonds,
forming a protein.
DNA and RNA
In RNA
OH
HO
O
OH
In DNA
HO
OH
O
OH
OH
• DNA and RNA differ in
function
• There are two basic
differences. One is in the
bases, where RNA has
Uracil, DNA has
Thymine.
• The other is the sugar,
RNA has Ribose, and
DNA has Deoxyribose