Question

A biology teacher told his students is a class that the genetic material is all the organisms is DNA but it may be RNA in some of the viruses. He further told in the class that besides DNA the organisms also have another nucleic acid called RNA. 

Answer the following questions :

(1) What is the difference between the nucleotides of DNA and RNA. 

(2) What is the role of RNA in the cell ? 

(3) What makes DNA the most suitable genetic material ? 

(4) What values are exhibited by the biology teacher ?

Answer 1

(1) Nucleotides of DNA contain deoxyribose pentose sugar and the nitrogenous bases adenine / guanine / cytocine / thymine, while in the nucleotides of RNA the pentose sugar is ribose and the nitrogen bases similar to those of DNA except that there is uracil in place of thymine. 

(2) RNA may function as messenger (mRNA) adapter (t RNA), structural (rRNA) molecule. In some cases it may perform catalytic functions. 

(3) DNA acts as a most suitable genetic material because of the following reasons : 

(i) It is structurally most stable and is less reactive. 

(ii) It is capable to replicate itself. 

(iii) It express itself in the form of Mendelian traits. 

(iv) The teacher has a scientific attitude, love for his students and has the ability to express even the difficult subject matter in a simple way which is easily understood by the students.