plzzz quickly tell me question on DNA/RNA

[Guest doctor22]

what is more common in the human body? DNA or RNA

[Hellbender]

RNA. The DNA is just a single "blueprint" for the RNA to copy.

[Guest doctor22]

errr can you tell me more reasons, like what is the percentages of RNA/DNA in the body or something??

[Hellbender]

sorry, I owuld like to help, by my realm of knowledge is more evolution, biopsychology, and zoology than general biology anymore. I think thats bad. Hmmm. I think cells produce RNA, so in theory there is an endless supply, within reason.

[Guest philbo]

errr can you tell me more reasons, like what is the percentages of RNA/DNA in the body or something??

Couldn't tell you percentages, but in each nucleus you've got one copy of your chromosomes - 46 (very long) DNA molecules.

 

Against that, you've got large numbers of (comparitively tiny) m-RNA (messenger RNA) - given that your genome contains 3.2billion base pairs, and it takes approx 1500 base pairs to encode a single protein- so your average m-RNA is 1/2,000,000 of the size of the DNA in the cell; IIRC, you also get t-RNA used when the cell divides, but I don't know whether this is around all of the time, or if it's synthesised as the cell divides.

 

To summarize, I wouldn't mind betting that you've got more DNA than RNA by weight... but thousands of times the number of molecules of RNA.

 

If this is for homework, you could always try quoting this and see whether you get good marks