What are three facts about RNA?

Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, plays a key role in turning the instructions held in the DNA of your genome into functional proteins in your cells.
RNA is closely related to DNA, but it contains a different sugar – ribose – and the base uracil (U) replaces thymine (T). The other bases, adenine (A), cytosine (C) and guanine (G), are common in both molecules.
The RNA molecule forms a single helix.

Table of Contents Show

Types of RNA
What is a fact about RNA?
What are the 3 main functions of RNA?
What are the three 3 types of RNA?
What are the 3 types of RNA and why are they important?

Illustration showing the single helix structure of RNA.
Image credit: Genome Research Limited

It is RNA which makes it possible for DNA to act as the genetic material, in spite of being trapped in the nucleus of the cell.
RNA has three main roles in the cell:
- It carries the instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes where proteins are made in the cytoplasm of the cell.
- RNA picks up specific amino acids from the cytoplasm of the cell and delivers them to the ribosomes where protein synthesis takes place.
- It makes up around 50% of the structure of the ribosomes.

Types of RNA

There are three different types of RNA. The basic structure of each molecule is the same single helix, but the overall arrangement of the molecules, and the roles they perform in cells, are very different.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is formed in the nucleus on the 3’ coding (antisense) strand of the DNA in the process of transcription. Each piece of mRNA transcribed codes for a specific polypeptide.
mRNA molecules are relatively small – unlike the huge DNA molecules, they pass out easily through the pores in the nuclear membrane.
mRNA molecules move to the surface of the ribosomes, carrying instructions from the genes in the nucleus about the protein which needs to be synthesised.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the most common form of RNA found in cells – it makes up around 50% of the structure of the ribosomes. It is produced in the nucleus, before moving out into the cytoplasm to bind with proteins and form a ribosome.
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is found in the cytoplasm and has a complex shape. It is responsible for carrying amino acids from the cytoplasm to the ribosome surface, ready to make a protein as instructed by the mRNA.
Between them, mRNA, rRNA and tRNA are three of the principal players in protein synthesis – the process by which the instructions in your genes are turned into functioning proteins in your cells.

Illustration of the three main types of RNA: mRNA, rRNA and tRNA.
Image credit: Genome Research Limited

This page was last updated on 2022-02-21

An important nucleic acid, RNA holds some interesting facts that you truly need to know.

RNA or Ribonucleic acid is defined as, “a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes”.

While DNA gets all the limelight, RNA is equally important as it helps DNA to perform all the functions. It carries out instructions from the DNA genes and plays a key role in protein synthesis and many other bodily functions.

Here are some facts about RNA:

While DNA is a double-stranded molecule, RNA is a single-stranded biopolymer.
Like DNA, RNA is made up of a long chain of nucleotides.
There is a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar and a phosphate in each RNA nucleotide.
RNA’s nitrogenous bases are adenine (a), guanine (g), cytosine (c) and uracil (u). While adenine pairs with uracil, guanine makes bond with cytosine.

The first three bases also exist in DNA. Uracil in RNA takes the place of Thymine in DNA.

While no single person can be credited for the discovery of RNA, we can say that the discovery of nucleic acid by Friedrich Miescher in 1868 led to the concept of RNA.
RNA’s ribose sugar is a cyclical structure and it contains one oxygen and five carbons.
RNA is chemically more reactive than DNA.
RNA also helps in the process of DNA replication and gene regulation.
Transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA) are some of the common types of RNA. tRNA and rRNA help in the building process of proteins in the cells.
Unlike DNA, mRNA can move and react with several cell enzymes.
Initially, the scientists believed that RNA’s only role was in the central dogma. In that process, RNA is created by DNA and then translated into proteins. Later, they found that RNA performs many more functions.
To treat certain types of cancers, RNA is widely being used in gene therapy.
While DNA can only be found in the nucleus, RNA exists in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of a cell.
Depending on the functions, RNA can come in different forms and shapes.
About 5% of the total weight of a human cell consists of RNA. On the other side, 1% of it consists of DNA.
There are some living organisms that contain RNA as the only genetic material.
Just a fun fact, RNA is also referred to as “the chemical cousin of DNA”.

RNA is truly amazing. In 1959, Severo Ochoa won a Nobel Prize in Medicine as he discovered an enzyme which can synthesize RNA.

What is a fact about RNA?

Ribonucleic acid (abbreviated RNA) is a nucleic acid present in all living cells that has structural similarities to DNA. Unlike DNA, however, RNA is most often single-stranded. An RNA molecule has a backbone made of alternating phosphate groups and the sugar ribose, rather than the deoxyribose found in DNA.

What are the 3 main functions of RNA?

RNA also serves as the primary genetic material for viruses. Other functions include RNA editing, gene regulation, and RNA interference.

What are the three 3 types of RNA?

In both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, there are three main types of RNA – messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA (tRNA). These 3 types of RNA are discussed below.

What are the 3 types of RNA and why are they important?

The three major types of RNA are: mRNA (messenger RNA) : it provides the template for protein synthesis during translation [1] tRNA (transfer RNA) : it brings aminoacids and reads the genetic code during translation [1] rRNA (ribosomal RNA) : it plays a structural and catalytic role during translation [1]