Which statement describes one similarity between DNA and RNA?

• A. Both are typically double-stranded helices in cells.
• B. Both contain the nitrogenous base thymine as a standard component.
• C. Both are nucleic acids made of nucleotide monomers with a sugar-phosphate backbone.
• D. Both store genetic information permanently in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the basic structure of DNA and RNA. Both DNA and RNA are types of nucleic acids, which means they are polymers made up of nucleotide monomers.
2. Step 2: Recall that each nucleotide consists of three components: a nitrogenous base, a sugar molecule, and a phosphate group. Both DNA and RNA have a sugar-phosphate backbone formed by the sugar and phosphate groups linked together.
3. Step 3: Compare the nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA. DNA contains adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, while RNA contains adenine, uracil, cytosine, and guanine. Note that thymine is unique to DNA and uracil is unique to RNA.
4. Step 4: Consider the strand structure. DNA is typically double-stranded forming a double helix, whereas RNA is usually single-stranded in cells.
5. Step 5: Summarize the similarity: Both DNA and RNA are nucleic acids composed of nucleotide monomers with a sugar-phosphate backbone, which is the fundamental structural similarity between them.