RNA is a nucleic acid that has a variety of functions in a cell. Depending on the type of RNA it can function as a carrier for genetic information, a catalyst for biochemical reactions, an adapter molecule in protein synthesis, and a structural molecule in cell organelles.

Since the discovery of DNA in the early 1950s, scientists have studied the function and structure of nucleic acids. The various types and functions of RNA have been investigated by numerous researchers. Perhaps most famous is Severo Ochoa who received a Nobel prize for his work on RNA in 1959.

There are five major types of RNA that are found in the cells of eukaryotes. These include heterogeneous nuclear RNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and small nuclear RNA. Each has a different role in various cellular processes. In addition to these forms, RNA is a...