What is RNA?
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is essential for the regulation and expression of genetic material in living things. It consists of a polymer of nucleotides joined by phosphodiester bonds. With a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases that are used to encode genetic information, RNA and DNA are structurally similar.
However, DNA is double-stranded, whereas RNA is typically single-stranded. There are three main types of RNA: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Every RNA type performs a distinct role in the process of gene expression.
Why Uracil is Only Present in RNA?
Uracil is one of the four nitrogenous bases present in RNA, the other three being adenine, guanine, and cytosine. Unlike DNA, RNA contains uracil in place of thymine. This difference between DNA and RNA is important as it affects their properties and functions. The structure of uracil is very similar to that of thymine, but it lacks the methyl group present in thymine.