dsRNA stands for

• A. Single stranded RNA
• B. Circular RNA
• C. Hairpin RNA
• D. Double stranded RNA

Answer: (D)

Two RNA strands paired together form double-stranded RNA. The label dsRNA uses ds- to indicate double-stranded, with RNA for ribonucleic acid. So this abbreviation points to two RNA strands that are base-paired with each other. In contrast, single-stranded RNA describes the normal, unpaired form, circular RNA refers to an RNA molecule that forms a closed loop, and hairpin RNA describes a single strand folding back on itself to create a stem-loop structure. The defining feature of dsRNA is the presence of two complementary strands held together by base pairing.