What is the effect of incubating a mixture of RNA and DNA with 0.1 M NaOH?

Question

a. DNA is hydrolyzed to nucleoside monophosphates.

b. No effect. RNA and DNA are resistant to base hydrolysis.

c. RNA is hydrolyzed to nucleoside monophosphates.

d. Both RNA and DNA are hydrolyzed to nucleoside monophosphates.

e. All of the above

f. None of the above

Answer 1

The answer is C, DNA was separate into different strands but it would remain intact. However, RNA, because it has a 3'-hydroxyl group on the ribose, will be deprotonated and eventually cause the molecule to break down into its nucleoside monophosphates.