DNA and RNA
On the picture below you can see some of the differences between DNA and RNA. One big difference is that DNA has double strands and RNA has only one. Another big difference is that in RNA Uracil substitutes in for Thymine. A similarity is that they both carry information and are made up of nucleotides.
DNA
DNA is the crucial element for the passing on of genetic information. DNA is a double helix and has nucleotides made using the nitrogenous bases Thymine(T), Cytosine(C), Adenine(A), and Guanine(G) the nucleotids also contain a 5-carbon sugar called deoxyribose and a phospate group.
The image to the right shows a simple diagram of DNA and it lables the bases and shows witch bases join with each other.
The picture to the right doesn't show the bases that join with each other but it shows how the phosphate and sugar join with the bases to make nucleotides.
RNA
RNA is the nucleic acid that acts as a messenger between DNA and the ribosomes and carries out the process by which protiens are made from amino acids. As you can see in the picture RNA contains the same nucleotids as DNA with the exception that Uracil is used instead of Thymine. There are 3 main types of RNA. mRNA which acts like a messenger and caries genetic information from the DNA outside the nucleus and to the ribosomes. The second and third kinds are tRNA and rRNA which are both used in the process of translation which forms proteins.
