RNA stands for Ribonucleic Acid. It is a nucleic acid present in all living cells and viruses, playing essential roles in biological functions such as protein synthesis and gene regulation
. Unlike DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), RNA is usually single-stranded and contains the sugar ribose instead of deoxyribose
. The nitrogenous bases in RNA include adenine, cytosine, guanine, and uracil (which replaces thymine found in DNA)
