What is the Difference Between RNA and mRNA?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a nucleic acid composed of ribose, uracil, and phosphate. There are three main types of RNA: mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA, and each type has a specific function in the cell. The main differences between RNA and mRNA are as follows:
- Function: RNA mediates various cellular processes, including cell signaling and protein expression, while mRNA is a specific type of RNA that acts as a messenger between DNA and ribosomes during protein synthesis.
- Structure: RNA has various structures, while mRNA has a linear structure.
- Coding Regions: mRNA contains only protein-coding regions (exons) and encodes for a specific amino acid sequence of a protein, whereas RNA contains both coding and noncoding regions.
In summary, RNA is a nucleic acid involved in various cellular processes, and mRNA is a specific type of RNA that plays a crucial role in protein synthesis by carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes.
Comparative Table: RNA vs mRNA
Here is a table summarizing the differences between RNA and mRNA:
Feature | RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) | mRNA (Messenger RNA) |
---|---|---|
Type | Nucleic acid | One of the three types of RNA |
Structure | Linear and unbranched | Linear structure, but the 5' end is capped with 7-methylguanosine and the 3' end is polyadenylated (a poly-A tail) |
Function | Responsible for encoding, transmitting, and expressing genetic information into proteins | Provides a template for protein synthesis and carries the genetic code to produce a protein |
Length | Varies, but typically much shorter than DNA | In mammals, mRNAs are 300 to 12000 nucleotides long |
Sugar | Contains ribose sugar molecules | No difference from RNA in sugar content |
Bases | Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Uracil (U) | Shares Adenine (A), Guanine (G), and Cytosine (C) with DNA, but uses Uracil (U) instead of Thymine (T) |
Please note that the term "mRNA" is a specific type of RNA, so the two terms are not mutually exclusive. RNA is a broader term that includes mRNA, tRNA (transfer RNA), and rRNA (ribosomal RNA).
Read more:
- rRNA vs mRNA
- DNA vs mRNA
- mRNA vs tRNA
- DNA vs RNA
- hnRNA vs mRNA
- pre-mRNA vs mRNA
- DNA vs RNA Structure
- DNA vs RNA Synthesis
- DNA vs RNA Nucleotide
- Transcription vs Translation
- DNA vs RNA Viruses
- CRISPR vs RNAi
- rDNA vs cDNA
- Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic mRNA
- RNA Viruses vs Retroviruses
- Transcription vs Reverse Transcription
- DNA vs RNA Isolation
- rRNA vs Ribosomes
- Transcription vs Translation in DNA