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Q12(b):
Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between
(b) RNA and DNA
Solution :
1. Biochemical Composition and Structural Analysis
The distinction between Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is fundamentally rooted in their chemical constituents and spatial orientation. DNA acts as the primary repository of genetic information, while RNA serves as the intermediate molecule for protein synthesis and regulatory functions.
| Feature | DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) | RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) |
|---|---|---|
| Pentose Sugar | 2'-deoxyribose (lacks an oxygen at 2' position) | Ribose (possesses a hydroxyl group at 2' position) |
| Nitrogenous Bases | Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine | Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Uracil |
| Strandedness | Typically double-stranded (double helix) | Typically single-stranded (forms secondary structures) |
| Stability | Highly stable due to lack of 2'-OH group [Prevents self-hydrolysis] | Less stable due to 2'-OH group [Susceptible to alkaline hydrolysis] |
2. Comparative Structural Visualization
3. Mechanistic and Functional Justifications
3.1 Chemical Reactivity: The presence of the $2'-OH$ group in RNA makes it chemically reactive. Under alkaline conditions, the hydroxyl group can act as a nucleophile, attacking the phosphodiester bond of the backbone [Per the Mechanism of Base-Catalyzed Hydrolysis]. Conversely, DNA’s deoxyribose sugar lacks this group, contributing to its evolutionary selection for long-term information storage.
3.2 Base Pairing Specificity:
- DNA utilizes Thymine ($5-methyluracil$), which provides increased resistance to photochemical mutations compared to Uracil.
- RNA utilizes Uracil, which is energetically cheaper to produce biologically, prioritizing efficiency over the long-term stability required by DNA.
4. Summary of Differentiation
Distinguishing between DNA and RNA relies on:
- Chemical Analysis: Detection of 2'-deoxyribose vs. ribose via spectroscopic methods or enzymatic degradation (DNA is resistant to alkaline hydrolysis; RNA is not).
- Nucleotide Composition: Detection of Thymine (DNA specific) vs. Uracil (RNA specific).
- Physical Morphology: Confirmation of double-helical structure (DNA) vs. single-stranded, folded conformation (RNA) via X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy.
Final Solution: DNA and RNA are distinguished primarily by the sugar moiety (deoxyribose vs. ribose), the replacement of thymine with uracil in RNA, and the structural preference for a stable double-helix (DNA) versus a reactive, single-stranded form (RNA).
More Questions from Class 12 Biology Biotechnology: Principles and Processes EXERCISES
- Q1: Can you list 10 recombinant proteins which are used in medical practice? Find out where they are used as therapeutics (use the internet).
- Q1: Can you list 10 recombinant proteins which are used in medical practice? Find out where they are used as therapeutics (use the internet).
- Q2: Make a chart (with diagrammatic representation) showing a restriction enzyme, the substrate DNA on which it acts, the site at which it cuts DNA and the product it produces.
- Q2: Make a chart (with diagrammatic representation) showing a restriction enzyme, the substrate DNA on which it acts, the site at which it cuts DNA and the product it produces.
- Q3: From what you have learnt, can you tell whether enzymes are bigger or DNA is bigger in molecular size? How did you know?
- Q3: From what you have learnt, can you tell whether enzymes are bigger or DNA is bigger in molecular size? How did you know?
- Q4: What would be the molar concentration of human DNA in a human cell? Consult your teacher.
- Q4: What would be the molar concentration of human DNA in a human cell? Consult your teacher.
- Q5: Do eukaryotic cells have restriction endonucleases? Justify your answer.
- Q5: Do eukaryotic cells have restriction endonucleases? Justify your answer.
- Q6: Besides better aeration and mixing properties, what other advantages do stirred tank bioreactors have over shake flasks?
- Q6: Besides better aeration and mixing properties, what other advantages do stirred tank bioreactors have over shake flasks?
- Q7: Collect 5 examples of palindromic DNA sequences by consulting your teacher. Better try to create a palindromic sequence by following base-pair rules.
- Q7: Collect 5 examples of palindromic DNA sequences by consulting your teacher. Better try to create a palindromic sequence by following base-pair rules.
- Q8: Can you recall meiosis and indicate at what stage a recombinant DNA is made?
- Q8: Can you recall meiosis and indicate at what stage a recombinant DNA is made?
- Q9: Can you think and answer how a reporter enzyme can be used to monitor transformation of host cells by foreign DNA in addition to a selectable marker?
- Q9: Can you think and answer how a reporter enzyme can be used to monitor transformation of host cells by foreign DNA in addition to a selectable marker?
- Q10(a): Describe briefly the following: (a) Origin of replication
- Q10(a): Describe briefly the following: (a) Origin of replication
- Q10(b): Describe briefly the following: (b) Bioreactors
- Q10(b): Describe briefly the following: (b) Bioreactors
- Q10(c): Describe briefly the following: (c) Downstream processing
- Q10(c): Describe briefly the following: (c) Downstream processing
- Q11(a): Explain briefly (a) PCR
- Q11(a): Explain briefly (a) PCR
- Q11(b): Explain briefly (b) Restriction enzymes and DNA
- Q11(b): Explain briefly (b) Restriction enzymes and DNA
- Q11(c): Explain briefly (c) Chitinase
- Q11(c): Explain briefly (c) Chitinase
- Q12(a): Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between (a) Plasmid DNA and Chromosomal DNA
- Q12(a): Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between (a) Plasmid DNA and Chromosomal DNA
- Q12(b): Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between (b) RNA and DNA
- Q12(c): Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between (c) Exonuclease and Endonuclease
- Q12(c): Discuss with your teacher and find out how to distinguish between (c) Exonuclease and Endonuclease
CBSE Solutions for Class 12 Biology Biotechnology: Principles and Processes
Chapters in CBSE - Class 12 Biology
- Reproduction in Organisms
- Human Reproduction
- Reproductive Health
- Principles of Inheritance and Variation
- Molecular Basis of Inheritance
- Evolution
- Human Health and Disease
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production
- Microbes in Human Welfare
- Biotechnology and Its Applications
- Organisms and Populations
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Environmental Issues
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