Which statement describes both DNA and RNA?

Which statement describes both DNA and RNA?

• A. They are nucleic acids
• B. They are proteins
• C. They are carbohydrates
• D. They are lipids

Answer: (A)

The main idea is the type of biomolecule. DNA and RNA are both nucleic acids, the molecules that store and relay genetic information. They are built from nucleotides, with a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases, and they differ in sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA) and in one base (thymine in DNA, uracil in RNA). Because of this shared category, saying they are nucleic acids accurately describes both. They’re not proteins (amino-acid polymers), carbohydrates (sugar polymers), or lipids (fats and related molecules), so those options don’t fit as descriptions for both DNA and RNA.

The main idea is the type of biomolecule. DNA and RNA are both nucleic acids, the molecules that store and relay genetic information. They are built from nucleotides, with a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases, and they differ in sugar (deoxyribose in DNA, ribose in RNA) and in one base (thymine in DNA, uracil in RNA). Because of this shared category, saying they are nucleic acids accurately describes both. They’re not proteins (amino-acid polymers), carbohydrates (sugar polymers), or lipids (fats and related molecules), so those options don’t fit as descriptions for both DNA and RNA.