Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

34. Nucleic Acids

Intro to Nucleic Acids

Organic Chemistry

34. Nucleic Acids

Intro to Nucleic Acids

Previous problemNext problem

Struggling with Organic Chemistry?

Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video

Multiple Choice

What structural feature makes RNA different from DNA?

RNA contains the base thymine, while DNA contains the base uracil.

RNA is more stable than DNA due to its double helix structure.

RNA is double-stranded, while DNA is single-stranded.

RNA contains the sugar ribose, while DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose.

Previous problemNext problem

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the structural components of nucleic acids: Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids composed of nucleotides, which include a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Examine the sugar component: In RNA, the sugar is ribose, which has a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to the 2' carbon. In DNA, the sugar is deoxyribose, which lacks the hydroxyl group at the 2' carbon, having only a hydrogen atom instead.

Consider the nitrogenous bases: RNA contains the bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil, while DNA contains adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. This difference in bases is another distinguishing feature, but not the focus of this question.

Analyze the structural stability: The presence of the hydroxyl group in ribose makes RNA more reactive and less stable compared to DNA, which is more stable due to the absence of this group in deoxyribose.

Conclude the key structural difference: The primary structural feature that differentiates RNA from DNA is the type of sugar present in their nucleotides—ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA.