logo
AAT Bioquest

What are the differences between RNA and mRNA?

Posted August 3, 2023


Answer

RNA:

  • RNA is a nucleic acid. It is composed of ribose and uracil and contains coding regions (exons) as well as noncoding regions (introns).
  • There are three types of RNA – tRNA, mRNA, and rRNA. 
  • RNA mediates cellular processes such as cell signaling and protein expression. 
  • It is also responsible for transporting amino acids to ribosomes. 

mRNA:

  • mRNA is a type of RNA
  • mRNA contains only protein-coding regions (exons). It encodes for a specific amino acid sequence of a protein. 
  • mRNA sequences are longer than the other two types of RNAs.
Additional resources

Functions and mechanisms of RNA tailing by metazoan terminal nucleotidyltransferases

StrandBrite™ Green RNA Quantifying Reagent *200X DMSO Solution*

Portelite™ Fluorimetric RNA Quantitation Kit*Optimized for Cytocite™ and Qubit™ Fluorometers*