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0 pointsdnautics5y ago0 comments

I wouldn't even say the immune system, your body has a ton of nonspecific RNA-digesting enzymes floating around to patrol for exactly this sort of thing happening, even by accident, as cells can sometimes rupture. It's a problem enough that good RNA researchers have a reputation of being clean freaks. Some RNA labs I've been in had a lingering, slightly sweet smell, that's the nonspecific RNAase inhibitor that gets sprayed on everything.

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azernik5y ago

RNA is also just generally fantastically unstable and reactive. You don't want any surface to be too alkaline, for example. There's a reason that basically every life form switched to DNA.

(Though RNA may have been more stable under the high-UV-exposure conditions the early Earth.)

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azernik5y ago

RNA is also just generally fantastically unstable and reactive. You don't want any surface to be too alkaline, for example. There's a reason that basically every life form switched to DNA.

(Though RNA may have been more stable under the high-UV-exposure conditions the early Earth.)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse