STRUCTURE AND

FUNCTION OF RNA
INTRODUCTION

▪ RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides.

▪ It is single standed
▪ Major role of RNA is to participate in protein
synthesis
▪  It is essential in various biological roles in coding,
decoding, regulation and expression of genes. 
▪ RNA is found mainly in the cytoplasm. it is synthesized
in the nucleus where the DNA undergoes transcription to
produce messenger RNA.
▪ RNA also function as genetic material in some viruses.
▪ In RNA polymers, purine & pyrimidine nucleotides are
linked together through phosphodiester linkage.
▪ The nucleotides present in RNA are adinine, cytosine,
guanine, urucail.
HISTORY

▪ The discovery of RNA began with the discovery of

nucleic acids by Friedrich Miescher in 1868 who
called the material 'nuclein' since it was found in the
nucleus.
STRUCTURE OF RNA
TYPES OF RNA

▪ There is 3 main type of RNA ,

▪ They are,
m-RNA
t-RNA
r-RNA
m-RNA

▪ m-RNA is a Messenger RNA

▪ The term m-RNA was coined by jacab & monad in
1961.
▪ It account for 5% of cellular RNA.
▪ They are single stranded linear and carry genetic
message in the form of triplet codan.
▪ They consist of 1000-10000 nucleotides
▪ They have a free or phosphorylated 3’ and 5’
▪ It is used to bind ribosomes
▪ Capping products m-RNA from nucleus attach the cap
following by non coding region.
▪ In prokaryotes the length of m-RNA is 1.2 kb
▪ In eukaryotes the stem loop regulate the life time and
function of m-RNA.
STRUCTURE
t-RNA

▪ t-RNA is a Transfer RNA

▪ tRNA, discovered by Paul Zamecnik in 1958
▪ t-RNA is made up of single stranded polynucleotide chain
▪ It transfer the activated amino acid to the ribosome
▪ It is also called a sRNA, supernatent RNA and Adopter RNA
▪ It accounts for 10-15% of total cell RNA
▪ They are smallest RNA of all the RNAs
▪ Visually they are consist of 50-100 nucleotides
STRUCTURE:

▪ Anticodon arm: Recognizes

triplet codon of m-RNA and binds
to it

▪ D arm: Recognition site for

specific amino acids

▪ Aminoacid Accepter arm:

Binding the Aminoacid

▪ T arm: Recodnition of ribosomes

▪ Variable Arm: Stability of RNA

r-RNA

▪ r-RNA is a Ribosomal RNA

▪ It is a single stranded RNA
▪ The accounts for 80% of the total cellular RNA
▪ The large of rRNA ranges from 100-600 nucleotides
▪ They are classifed into 7 types based on their size
▪ 28s,18s,5s,8s(Eukaryotic ribosomal RNA)
▪ 23s,16s,5.5s(Prokaryotic ribosomal RNA)
STRUCTURE
THANK YOU!!!