During an exploratory voyage into a deep-sea hydrothermal trench, astrobiologists isolate three distinct ribonucleic acid molecules from an unusual bioluminescent microbe. Laboratory assays show that Molecule X serves as a transient, unfolded linear transcript copied from genomic loci, Molecule Y folds into a characteristic cloverleaf shape with internal hydrogen bonding to deliver specific monomers via an anticodon triplet, and Molecule Z associates with polypeptides to construct catalytic protein-synthesizing complexes. Based on these structural and functional characteristics, which statement correctly identifies Molecule Y?

A) Molecule Y is messenger RNA (mRNA), which functions as an unfolded coding intermediate that establishes the continuous reading frame.

B) Molecule Y is ribosomal RNA (rRNA), which supplies the peptidyl transferase ribozyme activity that forms peptide bonds.

C) Molecule Y is transfer RNA (tRNA), which carries a specific amino acid at its 3' terminal end while matching mRNA through an anticodon loop.

D) Molecule Y is small nuclear RNA (snRNA), which forms ribonucleoprotein complexes specialized in excising introns from precursor transcripts.

RNA structure and types Original Scenario-Based Download PDF

Biology · Molecular Genetics · Biology · DNA Structure & Replication

1 Biology practice questions on RNA structure and types. Questions built around original scenarios.