DNA Vs. RNA

What exactly is DNA and RNA? We hear about DNA starting when we are little kids but do we really know what they are other then three little letters?

What is DNA made of?  DNA is made up of chains of nucleotides, molecules made up from purine, pentose sugar, and a phosphate group, put onto a sugar and phosphate backbone and wrapped around each other; this is called a double helix. There are four bases in DNA; guanine, cytosine, adenine, and thymine. Guanine and cytosine are always together on the helix and adenine always pairs with thymine as well. The reason this DNA is like this is so that it can duplicate itself by dividing and copying itself since it can match the other half. 

What does DNA do?  DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It is an acid that is in the cells of all living organisms. It is the code for all of the genetic material in an organism that determines what that organism will turn into by combining the genes from the parent organisms and passes a combination of traits down to the offspring. It also does some other things that are critical to life of the organism. DNA also holds the code that a cell needs to make RNA. When DNA is altered in anyway by something called a mutagen, it can cause health problems to the organism. 

What is RNA and what is it made up of? RNA stands for Ribonucleic Acid. It is a chain of nucleotides that is also in the cells of every organism such as DNA. It is made in long strands that have a backbone, just as DNA does, made up of groups of phosphates and riboes. Since it only has one backbone, it cannot form a double helix, instead it folds onto itself to help it fit into tight places. There are four bases that make up RNA just as DNA has. RNA's four bases consist of adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil. RNA is also what a mutagen looks for. If a mutagen takes over RNA it is able to change the DNA and make the cell do what the mutagen wants it to do rather then what it is supposed to do. 

What does RNA do? RNA has many jobs that it is responsible for; some of them are the synthesis of proteins, gene expression, gene regulation, and also the duplication of the genes. RNA plays just as an important role as DNA does, even though it may not be as widely known. It is just as important because it helps create DNA.