A researcher analyzes a nucleic acid sample and determines that it contains uracil and a hydroxyl group on the 2' carbon of the pentose sugar. Which of the following statements best describes the implications of these structural features?

Core Concept

RNA contains uracil instead of thymine and possesses a 2' hydroxyl group on its ribose sugar. This hydroxyl group makes RNA more chemically reactive and prone to hydrolysis under alkaline conditions compared to DNA, which lacks this group.