What you’ll learn to do: Discuss nucleic acids and the role they play in DNA and RNA
Humans have two types of nucleic acids in their bodies: DNA and RNA. These molecules contain the set of instructions for our cells: they determine who and what we are. But what makes up our DNA?
![A strand of RNA next to DNA. RNA is a single helix composed of cytosine, guanine, adenine, and uracil. DNA is a double helix composed of cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine.](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-content/uploads/sites/2318/2016/05/18165740/960px-Difference_DNA_RNA-EN.svg_.png)
Figure 1. Spot the differences between DNA and RNA
In this outcome, we’ll learn about the components of DNA and RNA and get a brief introduction to how they work.