mRNA forms ___________ % of the total RNA in the cell
Correct answer: A. 3-4%
- A. 3-4%
- B. 4-5%
- C. 5-6%
- D. 6-7%
Explanation
mRNA is short lived and makes up only about 3 to 4 percent of the RNA in a cell, while rRNA accounts for roughly 80 percent and tRNA for most of the rest. The larger percentages are tempting because mRNA carries the message for every protein, but it is constantly degraded and replaced, so little is present at any moment.
This question appeared on the UHS MDCAT 2026 paper, which you can sit online with every answer explained.
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About Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
Ribonucleic acid is generally a single-stranded nucleic acid containing ribose and uracil instead of thymine. Coverage includes mRNA, tRNA and rRNA, complementary base pairing, transcription and translation, and the differences between RNA and DNA in structure, location and biological function.
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