which of the following terms best describes the relationship between the newly synthesized rna molecule and the dna template strand?
Which of the following terms best describes the relationship between the newly synthesized RNA molecule and the DNA template strand?
Answer: The term that best describes the relationship between the newly synthesized RNA molecule and the DNA template strand is “complementary.”
Let’s break it down:
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Template Strand: In DNA, there’s a pair of strands. One of them guides how the RNA is built. That’s the template strand. It provides a pattern for creating RNA through base pairing.
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RNA Synthesis: RNA polymerase, an enzyme, reads the DNA template strand. As it reads, it matches RNA nucleotides (A, U, C, G) to the DNA. For example, it pairs adenine (A) in DNA with uracil (U) in RNA.
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Base Pairing Rules: These rules explain how nucleotides pair:
- DNA’s adenine (A) pairs with RNA’s uracil (U).
- DNA’s thymine (T) pairs with RNA’s adenine (A).
- DNA’s cytosine (C) pairs with RNA’s guanine (G).
- DNA’s guanine (G) pairs with RNA’s cytosine (C).
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Complementary Sequence: The RNA sequence is the reverse complement of the DNA template. They’re not identical but are complementary. They fit together according to base pairing rules.
To sum up, the RNA and the DNA template strand are complementary, matching like puzzle pieces to ensure the correct genetic message is transcribed.