RNA (The Function of the RNA in the Body)

Abstract

RNA is one of the vital molecules of the body and it helps in the production of macromolecules of the body along with DNA. The molecule is single stranded and it is composed of ribose sugars and bases. There are four types of bases present in RNA and the molecule has a physiological pH. Hydroxyl groups and hydrogen bonding is also present in the molecule.

There are three types of RNA and they include messenger RNA, transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA. The genetic information from DNA is coded and this code is carried by messenger RNA. Transfer RNA decodes the code of messenger RNA and carries the amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain of protein. The specific amino acid is easily carried by tRNA because it also contains a code which is complementary to the code of mRNA. The ribosomal RNA is present in the ribosome and they help in the formation of a protein molecule after the cluster of amino acids. There are several other functions of RNA like regulation, acting as a tool and they are genome of viruses.

RNA (The Function of the RNA in the Body)

Introduction

RNA is a biological molecule present in the body and it performs many functions. DNA and RNA combine to form the nucleic acids and these nucleic acids combine with proteins and compose the major macromolecules which are needed for the existence of life. RNA is a single stranded molecule and it present as a chain of nucleotides. RNA performs many functions in the body and its main role is in the synthesis of proteins (Pollard, Earnshaw & Lippincott-Schwartz, 2007).

Structure

RNA consists of nucleotides and every nucleotide is made up of ribose sugars. The ribose sugars have Carbons and a base is attached to the first carbon. The bases that can be attached to the carbons are Adenine, guanine, Uracil and Cytosine. The bases Uracil and Cytosine are pyrimidine in nature and Adenine and Guanine are purine in nature. The phosphate group is also present which links the 3rd carbon of the ribose sugar to the 5th carbon of the other one. RNA is a charged molecule and it has a physiological pH. The hydrogen bonds are also formed among adenine and uracil, cytosine and guanine and guanine and uracil (Barrett, 1982).

The ribose sugar of RNA also contains a hydroxyl group. The structure of RNA obtains A-form geometry due to the presence of the ribose sugar. Two groves are formed as a result of this geometry. One is a major groove which is deep and narrow and the other is a minor groove which is wide and shallow. The transcription of RNA can occur with four bases however the sugars and bases can be altered in many ways. There are many modified forms of the bases like pseudouridine, hypoxanthine and inosine (Barrett, 1982).



Types

There are three types of RNA found and they are

m RNA which is also called as ...