Which base is found in RNA but not in DNA?

Uracil is a nitrogenous base that appears in RNA and is unique to it compared to DNA. In RNA, uracil replaces thymine, which is found in DNA. This difference in bases is one of the fundamental distinctions between the two types of nucleic acids.

In DNA, thymine pairs with adenine, while in RNA, adenine pairs with uracil instead of thymine. This substitution is significant for the function of RNA, which plays various roles in the cell, such as messenger RNA (mRNA) carrying genetic information from DNA to ribosomes for protein synthesis. Understanding this difference is essential for grasping how genetic information is transcribed and translated between the two types of nucleic acids.