Question

Describe the structure of a RNA polynucleotide chain having four different types of nucleotides.

Answer 1

Hint: RNA is also known as ribose nucleic acid. It is a blueprint to carry and inherit information from parents to offspring. It is a source of protein. Due to this the offspring resembles that of parents. It is genetic material in some organisms including viruses.

Complete answer:
- RNA contains several base pairs such as adenine, guanine , cytosine and uracil.
- Adenine bonds with uracil with help of two hydrogen bonds and guanine bonds with cytosine with help of three hydrogen bonds.
- The nitrogenous base molecule is joined to the sugar molecule by a glycosidic bond and forms a structure called nucleoside. The nucleoside combines with a phosphate group by an ester bond to form a nucleotide.
- In a nucleic acid a phosphate moiety (moiety is a part of a larger molecule or structure) links the 3' carbon of one sugar of one nucleotide to the 5' carbon of the sugar of the succeeding nucleotide The bond formed between the phosphate and hydroxyl group of sugar is an ester bond. As there is one such ester bond on either side, it is called phosphodiester bond.

Note: Based on the function performed by RNA they are r-RNA that is called ribosomal RNA, m-RNA also termed as messenger RNA and t-RNA also termed as transfer RNA. This type of RNA is found to be helpful in the translation process.