acidribonucleic

Acidribonucleic, also known as RNA (ribonucleic acid), is a type of nucleic acid that plays a crucial role in various biological processes. It is a single-stranded polymer composed of nucleotides, each consisting of a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U). RNA is primarily responsible for protein synthesis and gene expression in living organisms. It serves as a messenger (mRNA) that carries genetic information from the DNA to the ribosomes, where it is translated into a sequence of amino acids to form proteins. Additionally, RNA plays a role in catalytic functions, as seen in ribozymes, and in regulating gene expression through non-coding RNAs. There are three main types of RNA: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). mRNA carries the genetic code from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, tRNA facilitates the translation of mRNA into proteins, and rRNA is a component of the ribosome. RNA's structure and function are influenced by its ability to form secondary and tertiary structures, which are essential for its biological activities.