DNA and RNA All cellular (living) organisms contain both DNA and RNA.

Viruses, which are gen erally not considered to be living, contain one or the other. Here are some major differences between RNA and DNA: With the exception of a few viruses, RNA is a single-stranded molecule while DNA is double-stranded. The two DNA chains are connected by hydrogen bonds between nitrogenous bases. DNA can is replicated during cell division; RNA is not. The function of DNA is the storage of hereditary material the "blueprints" of an o rganism and the proteins it synthesizes. The types of proteins determines traits of the individual. RNA functions in transferring DNA's code to the ribosomes wh ere proteins are made. Both contain a sugar, phosphate groups, and four different nitrogenous base pair s. Three of the nitrogenous bases are the same for both RNA and DNA: guanine, ad enine, and cytosine. Thymine, the fourth base pair found in DNA, is replaced by uracil in RNA. DNA has deoxyribose sugar while RNA has ribose sugar. The deoxyribose sugar has one less oxygen atom than the ribose sugar. DNA is longer than RNA because DNA contains all the genes of the organism and mo re besides. RNA is only long enough to code for a specific gene within DNA. In eukaryotic cells, DNA is only found in the nucleus while RNA can be found bot h in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. Within one cell, there is only one type of DNA. However, there are three differe nt types of RNA including: mRNA (messenger RNA) carries messages coded in DNA from the nucleus or nucleoid to the site of protein synthesis (ribosomes) in cytoplasm. rRNA (ribosomal RNA) is found in the structure of ribosomes, together with ribos omal proteins. tRNA (transfer RNA) transfers the amino acids from cytoplasm to the ribosomes ac cording to the order of three nitrogenous bases (a codon) in mRNA. Mendelian inheritance (or Mendelian genetics or Mendelism or Monogenetic inherit ance) is a scientific theory of how hereditary characteristics are passed from p arent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics. This theoreti cal framework was initially derived from the work of Gregor Johann Mendel publis hed in 1865 and 1866 which was re-discovered in 1900; it was initially very cont roversial. When Mendel's theories were integrated with the chromosome theory of inheritance by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1915, they became the core of classical gen etics. Mendelian inheritance (or Mendelian genetics or Mendelism or Monogenetic inherit ance) is a scientific theory of how hereditary characteristics are passed from p arent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics. This theoreti cal framework was initially derived from the work of Gregor Johann Mendel publis hed in 1865 and 1866 which was re-discovered in 1900; it was initially very cont roversial. When Mendel's theories were integrated with the chromosome theory of inheritance by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1915, they became the core of classical gen etics.