DNA and RNA have similar names and are also both involved in the process of gene expression. This may make it difficult to know what the difference is between the two but there are a couple of key distinctions that people can use to help them better understand how they differ.
DNA Is the Genetic Material
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, resides mostly in the nucleus which is a closed-off structure within the cell. From this area, DNA provides instructions on how to create things that help the body run. For example, the APOE gene, a region of DNA on chromosome 19, contains instructions on how to make a protein that helps carry cholesterol throughout the bloodstream.
RNA, or ribonucleic acid, has a different job. It is created using the instructions that DNA provides and it can have its own important role in the body. However, in a lot of cases, RNA is a midway point between DNA and proteins. So, proteins like the one made from the APOE gene are originally RNA. RNA also is not isolated to the nucleus and has to leave in order for a protein to be created.
Both Are Made With a Different ‘Building Block’
A structural difference between DNA and RNA is that they use a different ‘building block’. Both use four compounds called nucleotides in their strands and they have three in common. However, the fourth nucleotide in DNA is called thymine while the fourth nucleotide in RNA is called uracil.
RNA Degrades More Easily
RNA also degrades more easily than DNA. This is because RNA has an extra oxygen atom within its structure. The oxygen atom makes the RNA more susceptible to breakdown by certain chemical processes. As it is more easily degradable, the cell must take measures to protect the RNA from being destroyed.
