About World RNA Day
Origin of World RNA Day
This observance began in 2018 on the initiative of Uruguayan molecular biologist Juan Pablo Tosar, a researcher at the Pasteur Montevideo Institute. This anniversary has been endorsed by the RNA Society.
August 1st was chosen as World RNA Day, due to the pun between August 1st and AUG (adenine, uracil and guanine), a triple sequence of RNA (called a codon) that initiates protein synthesis by the cell.
What is RNA?
RNA is a close relative of the commonly known molecule, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), and they, along with protein, are the three major biological molecules required for life.
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) is formed by a simple chain of ribonucleotides, composed in turn of ribose, a phosphate and a nitrogenous base (adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil).
RNA is present in all living cells that have structural similarities to DNA. It contains the information copied from DNA, necessary for the manufacture of proteins that are vital for all life processes.
RNA enables protein synthesis, being an essential connection for genetic information between DNA and cells. RNA molecules perform regulatory and enzymatic functions.
The types of RNA present in cells are as follows
- Messenger RNA (mRNA).
- Ribosomal RNA (rRNA).
- Transfer RNA (tRNA).
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