Answer to Question #337148 in Biochemistry for Mathias

Question

What is the importance of nucleic acid studies in elucidation and treatment of diseases

Answer 1

Nucleic acids are vital for cell functioning, and therefore for life. There are two types of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA. Together, they keep track of hereditary information in a cell so that the cell can maintain itself, grow, create offspring and perform any specialized functions it's meant to do. Nucleic acids thus control the information that makes every cell, and every organism, what it is.

Understanding how genes are read by the cell and used to create proteins creates enormous opportunities for understanding disease. Genetic diseases occur when errors are introduced into the genes that DNA carries; those errors create faulty RNA, which creates faulty proteins that don't function the way they're supposed to. Cancer is caused by damage to DNA or interference with the mechanisms for its replication or repair. By understanding nucleic acids and their mechanics of action, we can understand how diseases occur and, eventually, how to cure them.