Ribonucleic Acid (Rna):
A nucleic acid, found mostly in the cytoplasm of cells (rather than the nucleus) that is important in the synthesis of proteins. The amount of RNA varies from cell to cell. RNA, like the structurally similar DNA, is a chain made up of subunits called nucleotides. Some viruses, such as HIV, carry RNA instead of the more usual genetic material DNA. See Cytoplasm; Retrovirus.
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