Is RNA less stable than DNA?
Posted February 5, 2021
Answer
Yes, RNA is less stable than DNA. RNA is less stable due to its chemical structure. DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. Unlike DNA, RNA in biological cells is predominantly single stranded. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible. While DNA contains deoxyribose, RNA contains ribose, characterized by the presence of the 2′-hydroxyl group on the pentose ring. The hydroxyl group increases the likelihood of breakage of the sugar-phosphate backbone
Additional resources
The emerging role of RNA modifications in the regulation of mRNA stability