Understanding RNA

By Garik Tate
Everybody knows a little bit about DNA. Everybody has seen a diagram of it and they know how important it is. Thing is not everybody knows about its cousin RNA. RNA is just as important as DNA because without RNA, DNA wouldn't be able to do anything. RNA stands for Ribonucleic acid unlike DNA which stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. The difference in name just says that DNA lacks an oxygen one oxygen atom over RNA. But of course there are more differences than that.

First if you have seen a diagram of DNA then you will know it looks like a twisting ladder. RNA looks like DNA except its cut down the middle. So it looks like a spiraling thread with bases sticking out towards the center. The spiral like DNA is made out of sugar and phosphate. Another difference is where the 4 letters of DNA is A G C and T the 4 letters that are in RNA are A G C and U. The U is a variation of Thymine (T) known as Uracil.

RNA is created by a process known as transcribing. The process of transcribing happens in 4 steps. The first step is when the DNA "unzips" as there bonds break. The second step is when the free nucleotides (the spiral's) that will become the RNA pair up with complementary DNA bases. The third step happens when the spirals take shape from the sugar and phosphate and becomes the backbone. Then the fourth step is when the untwisted bonds that happen between the RNA and the unzipped DNA ladder break. At which point the newly formed RNA leaves through the nuclear pores. At which point it does its job out in the cytoplasm.

There is more than one type of RNA. The first type is mRNA (messenger RNA). mRNA is the type of RNA you probably think about when you think of RNA. The job of mRNA is to go to the ribosomes of a cell with a genetic message imprinted into it to tell the ribosomes to create various proteins. Then there is the none-coding RNA called ncRNA. This type of RNA is not encoded by DNA but rather other RNA. The third type of RNA is called Transfer-Message RNA (tmRNA) tmRNA is used by certain bacteria and viruses.

The main function of RNA is to giver messages to ribosomes to create various proteins. Ribosomes are like factories providing the proteins necessary in a cell. Ribosomes can be found in to places either floating in the cytoplasm or found in the ER (and I'm not talking about the emergency room).