DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is like a blueprint of biological

guidelines that a living organism must follow to exist and remain

functional. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, helps carry out this blueprint's
guidelines. Of the two, RNA is more versatile than DNA, capable of
performing numerous, diverse tasks in an organism, but DNA is more
stable and holds more complex information for longer periods of time.

Comparison chart

DNA RNA

Stands For DeoxyriboNucleicAcid. RiboNucleicAcid.

Definition A nucleic acid that contains the genetic
instructions used in the development and
functioning of all modern living
organisms. DNA's genes are expressed,
or manifested, through the proteins that
its nucleotides produce with the help of
RNA.
The information found in DNA
determines which traits are to be
created, activated, or deactivated,
while the various forms of RNA
do the work.

Function The blueprint of biological guidelines
that a living organism must follow to
exist and remain functional. Medium of
long-term, stable storage and
transmission of genetic information.
Helps carry out DNA's blueprint
guidelines. Transfers genetic
code needed for the creation of
proteins from the nucleus to the
ribosome.

Structure Double-stranded. It has two nucleotide Single-stranded. Like DNA,

strands which consist of its phosphate
group, five-carbon sugar (the stable 2-
deoxyribose), and four nitrogen-
containing nucleobases: adenine,
thymine, cytosine, and guanine.
RNA is composed of its
phosphate group, five-carbon
sugar (the less stable ribose), and
four nitrogen-containing
nucleobases: adenine, uracil (not
thymine), guanine, and cytosine.

Base Pairing Adenine links to thymine (A-T) and Adenine links to uracil (A-U)
cytosine links to guanine (C-G). and cytosine links to guanine (C-
G).

Location DNA is found in the nucleus of a cell and Depending on the type of RNA,
in mitochondria. this molecule is found in a cell's
nucleus, its cytoplasm, and its
ribosome.
 DNA RNA

Stability Deoxyribose sugar in DNA is less Ribose sugar is more reactive

reactive because of C-H bonds. Stable in
alkaline conditions. DNA has smaller
grooves, which makes it harder for
enzymes to "attack."
because of C-OH (hydroxyl)
bonds. Not stable in alkaline
conditions. RNA has larger
grooves, which makes it easier to
be "attacked" by enzymes.

Propagation DNA is self-replicating. RNA is synthesized from DNA

when needed.

Unique The helix geometry of DNA is of B- The helix geometry of RNA is of

Features Form. DNA is protected in the nucleus,
as it is tightly packed. DNA can be
damaged by exposure to ultra-violet rays.
A-Form. RNA strands are
continually made, broken down
and reused. RNA is more
resistant to damage by Ultra-
violet rays.

Structure
DNA and RNA are nucleic acids. Nucleic acids are long
biological macromolecules that consist of smaller molecules called nucleotides.
In DNA and RNA, these nucleotides contain four nucleobases — sometimes
called nitrogenous bases or simply bases — twopurine and pyrimidine bases
each.
Structural differences between DNA and RNA.

DNA is found in the nucleus of a cell (nuclear DNA) and in mitochondria

(mitochondrial DNA). It has two nucleotide strands which consist of its
phosphate group, five-carbon sugar (the stable 2-deoxyribose), and four
nitrogen-containing nucleobases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.
During transcription, RNA, a single-stranded, linear molecule, is formed. It is
complementary to DNA, helping to carry out the tasks that DNA lists for it to
do. Like DNA, RNA is composed of its phosphate group, five-carbon sugar (the
less stableribose), and four nitrogen-containing nucleobases: adenine, uracil
(not thymine), guanine, and cytosine.
RNA folding in on itself into a hairpin loop.

In both molecules, the nucleobases are attached to their sugar-phosphate

backbone. Each nucleobase on a nucleotide strand of DNA attaches to its partner
nucleobase on a second strand: adenine links to thymine, and cytosine links to
guanine. This linking causes DNA's two strands to twist and wind around each
other, forming a variety of shapes, such as the famous double helix (DNA's
"relaxed" form),circles, and supercoils.
In RNA, adenine and uracil (not thymine) link together, while cytosine still links
to guanine. As a single stranded molecule, RNA folds in on itself to link up its
nucleobases, though not all become partnered. These subsequent three-
dimensional shapes, the most common of which is the hairpin loop, help
determine what role the RNA molecule is to play — as messenger RNA
(mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), or ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Function
DNA provides living organisms with guidelines—genetic information
in chromosomalDNA—that help determine the nature of an organism's biology,
how it will look and function, based on information passed down from former
generations throughreproduction. The slow, steady changes found in DNA over
time, known as mutations, which can be destructive, neutral, or beneficial to an
organism, are at the core of the theory of evolution.
Genes are found in small segments of long DNA strands; humans have around
19,000 genes. The detailed instructions found in genes—determined by how
nucleobases in DNA are ordered—are responsible for both the big and small
differences between different living organisms and even among similar living
 organisms. The genetic information in DNA is what makes plants look like
plants, dogs look like dogs, andhumans look like humans; it is also what
prevents different species from producing offspring (their DNA will not match
up to form new, healthy life). Genetic DNA is what causes some people to have
curly, black hair and others to have straight, blond hair, and what
makes identical twins look so similar. (See also  Genotype vs Phenotype.)
RNA has several different functions that, though all interconnected, vary slightly
depending on the type. There are three main types of RNA:

 Messenger RNA (mRNA) transcribes genetic information from the DNA

found in a cell's nucleus, and then carries this information to the
cell's cytoplasm andribosome.

 Transfer RNA (tRNA) is found in a cell's cytoplasm and is closely related to

mRNA as its helper. tRNA literally transfers amino acids, the core components
of proteins, to the mRNA in a ribosome.

 Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is found in a cell's cytoplasm. In the ribosome, it

takes mRNA and tRNA and translates the information they provide. From this
information, it "learns" whether it should create, or synthesize, a polypeptide or
protein.

DNA's genes are expressed, or manifested, through the proteins that its
nucleotides produce with the help of RNA. Traits (phenotypes) come from
which proteins are made and which are switched on or off.
The information found in DNA determines which traits are to be created,
activated, or deactivated, while the various forms of RNA do the work.
One hypothesis suggests that RNA existed before DNA and that DNA was a
mutation of RNA. The video below discusses this hypothesis in greater depth.