Life sciences · Reference
What is RNA (ribonucleic acid)?
RNA is a nucleic acid, usually single-stranded, that plays essential roles in turning genes into proteins — including carrying genetic messages, delivering amino acids, and forming part of the ribosome.
What RNA is
Ribonucleic acid is a polymer of nucleotides, each containing a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four bases — adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil. It differs from DNA in three main ways: RNA contains the sugar ribose rather than deoxyribose, it uses uracil (U) where DNA uses thymine, and it is usually single-stranded rather than forming a double helix. This single-stranded nature lets RNA fold into varied shapes that suit its many roles.
Types of RNA
Cells make several kinds of RNA with distinct jobs. Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries a copy of a gene’s instructions from DNA to the ribosome. Transfer RNA (tRNA) reads codons and delivers the matching amino acids.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a structural and catalytic component of the ribosome itself. Many additional regulatory and non-coding RNAs help control gene activity, showing that RNA is far more than a passive messenger.
Significance in research
RNA is central to the central dogma of molecular biology and to understanding how genes are expressed and regulated. Because the set of RNAs a cell makes — its transcriptome — reflects which genes are active, measuring RNA through techniques such as RNA sequencing is a major activity in functional genomics. Synthetic RNA is also an important research and biotechnology tool. This page describes the molecular science of RNA and is not medical advice.
Key facts
At a glance
- Full name: ribonucleic acid
- Strands: usually single-stranded
- Sugar: ribose (DNA uses deoxyribose)
- Bases: A, G, C and uracil (U) instead of thymine
- Main types: messenger (mRNA), transfer (tRNA), ribosomal (rRNA)
- Role: central to gene expression
Common questions
FAQ
What is the difference between DNA and RNA?+
DNA is double-stranded, uses the sugar deoxyribose, and uses the base thymine. RNA is usually single-stranded, uses the sugar ribose, and uses uracil in place of thymine. DNA stores genetic information, while RNA mostly carries and acts on it.
What are the main types of RNA?+
The three classic types are messenger RNA, which carries genetic instructions; transfer RNA, which delivers amino acids during translation; and ribosomal RNA, which forms part of the ribosome. Many regulatory non-coding RNAs also exist.
The step most authors miss
Doing CRediT right? Don’t stop at the statement.
A CRediT statement credits you inside one paper. The recognition CRediT was built for happens when those roles are tied to you, persistently. Sign in with your ORCID — free — and claim your CRediT contributions on casrai.org, the home of the standard. They become a verified, portable part of your identity, not a line that disappears into one PDF.
Free: claim your contributions, then export a journal-ready CRediT statement, schema.org structured data, JATS XML, CSV or BibTeX — and preview your public profile. A membership publishes that profile publicly and verifies the journals you serve.
