Question

What explains the functional versatility of rna molecules?

Answer 1

Hello there buddy,

RNA is able to hydrogen bond with water (otherwise it wouldn't be soluble), but since water is small and prefers to be able to move around freely, these hydrogen bonds are quite unstable. For that reason, RNA forms much more stable bonds with larger, compatible molecules. Among those, different RNA molecules may bind to DNA or proteins to serve some function, while they can also bind complementary strands of RNA.

I hope this helps you!

~Jurgen