The presence or absence or hydroxy group on which carbon atom of sugar differentiates RNA and DNA?
RNA and DNA has ribose and deoxyribose sugars, which differs in absence of hydroxy group at 2nd carbon.
The key difference between RNA and DNA lies in the sugar component of their nucleotides. Both contain a pentose sugar, but:
The structural difference is at the 2nd carbon atom of the pentose ring:
In ribose (RNA sugar): There is a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to the 2nd carbon.
In deoxyribose (DNA sugar): There is only a hydrogen atom (-H) attached to the 2nd carbon (hence "deoxy-" meaning without oxygen).
This difference affects the stability of the molecules. DNA is more stable because the absence of the 2'-OH group makes it less prone to hydrolysis, which is important for long-term genetic storage. RNA's extra hydroxyl group makes it more reactive and less stable, suitable for its role as a messenger molecule.
Nucleic Acids: Biological macromolecules essential for all known forms of life. They are composed of nucleotides, each consisting of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group.
Structure of Nucleotides: Understanding the components (base, sugar, phosphate) and how they link together to form the backbone of DNA and RNA strands.
While there is no specific formula for this concept, the structural difference is crucial. The general formula for a pentose sugar is C5H10O5 for ribose and C5H10O4 for deoxyribose, reflecting the missing oxygen atom.
The difference can be represented by highlighting the 2' carbon:
Ribose: (with -OH on C2')
Deoxyribose: (with -H on C2')
The correct statement about the following disaccharide is
