RNA structure is defined by structure of increasing levels of complexity. These elements include primary, secondary, and tertiary structure, as shown in figure 1. The fundamental aspects of these descriptions are outlined within each respective category, which can be found below.
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The most basic elements of RNA structure are defined as primary. These include individual ribonucleotides and the covalent linkage among RNA strands.
Increasing in organization and complexity, secondary structure is defined by the formation of helical elements and flexible elements through Watson-Crick base pairing and single stranded regions.
Within tertiary structure, RNA begins to form more complex and longer range interactions, occuring during the folding of RNA into compact and rigid three-dimensional structures.
Uniques terms used throughout this website are defined here, along with more common descriptions used in RNA nomeclature. &
