Meaning & use

RNA

abbreviation·Academic

Ribonucleic acid, a molecule in cells that helps carry genetic instructions and build proteins.

See it in a sentence

Messenger RNA carries genetic instructions from DNA to the cell's protein-making machinery.

Some vaccines work by using RNA to teach cells how to fight a virus.

A note on using this word

RNA is chemically similar to DNA but is usually single-stranded and uses uracil instead of thymine as one of its bases.

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