RNA

[lohita]

what does RNA do in a cell?

[Poison]

Here are the basic functions:
mRNA: Takes info from DNA and carries it to ribosome.
rRNA: found on the ribosomes.
tRNA: carries proper aminoacids to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

[James]

What does mitochondriol DNA/RNA do?

[biostudent84]

I was able to meet a human geneticist once...she told me that they still don't know what it's for. They might have discovered the function since then though.

But I do know that it is identical to your mother's DNA.

[James]

Now there's a puzzle

[mith]

Doesn't it do the same thing except it services the mitochondria only?

[Garff]

I was able to meet a human geneticist once...she told me that they still don't know what it's for. They might have discovered the function since then though.

But I do know that it is identical to your mother's DNA.

This is true, the theory goes as follows............

Mitochondrias were once a kind of bacteria surviving on there own, however some millions of years ago they invaded our ancient relatives (really ancient, before we were multicellular) and lived inside these cells. The relationship had some beneit to both parties (symbiosis), the mitochondria give our cells chemical energy and they gain protection, so the bacteria remained within this cell and replicate almost independently of the cell. This is why it has it's own DNA and subsequently RNA.

The reason mitochindria DNA is always the same as your mother's mitochondrial DNA is because the sperm does not pass any mitochondria into the egg. Therefore any mitochondria in YOUR body came from your mother.

[biostudent84]

Wow! Garff! More information please! What's this theory called?

[James]

Does it affect our phenotypes?

[biostudent84]

Does it affect our phenotypes?

http://biocrs.biomed.brown.edu/Books/Es ... alDNA.html