RNA is labile and easily degradable and unstable due to

Options

A. Presence of free 2' OH
B. Presence of uracil
C. Presence of single stranded binding proteins
D. All except (3)

Answer

To answer the question regarding why RNA is labile, easily degradable, and unstable, we can break down the explanation into several key points:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding RNA Structure**:
- RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is composed of nucleotides, which include a ribose sugar, a phosphate group, and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil).

2. **Comparison with DNA**:
- DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) also consists of nucleotides but contains deoxyribose sugar instead of ribose. The absence of an oxygen atom at the 2' position in deoxyribose makes DNA more stable than RNA.

3. **Role of Ribose Sugar**:
- The ribose sugar in RNA has a hydroxyl (OH) group attached to the 2' carbon. This hydroxyl group makes RNA more reactive and less stable, contributing to its lability.

4. **Presence of Uracil**:
- In RNA, uracil replaces thymine (which is found in DNA). Uracil is less stable than thymine because it lacks a methyl group at the 5' position. This difference in structure contributes to the instability of RNA.

5. **Catalytic Properties**:
- The presence of the 2' hydroxyl group in ribose not only contributes to the instability but also imparts catalytic properties to RNA, allowing it to participate in various biochemical reactions, which can lead to its degradation.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the lability and instability of RNA can be attributed to the presence of the ribose sugar with a hydroxyl group at the 2' position and the presence of uracil instead of thymine.

### Final Answer:
RNA is labile and easily degradable due to the presence of a hydroxyl group at the 2' position of ribose sugar and the presence of uracil instead of thymine.

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