## TITLE('Differences Between RNA and DNA')
## DESCRIPTION
## Select the statement that is TRUE or FALSE about differences between RNA and DNA.
## ENDDESCRIPTION
## KEYWORDS('differences between RNA and DNA','true/false','multiple choice')
## DBsubject('Molecular Biology')
## DBchapter('')
## DBsection('')
## Date('2026-07-12')
## Author('Neil R. Voss')
## Institution('Roosevelt University')
DOCUMENT();
loadMacros(
"PGstandard.pl",
"PGML.pl",
"PGchoicemacros.pl",
"parserRadioButtons.pl",
"PGcourse.pl",
);
TEXT(beginproblem());
$showPartialCorrectAnswers = 1;
#==========================================================
# AUTO-GENERATED GROUPS FROM YAML
#==========================================================
@true_groups = (
[
'DNA is usually double-stranded (duplex), whereas RNA is usually single-stranded (simplex)',
'RNA is usually single-stranded (simplex), whereas DNA is usually double-stranded (duplex)',
],
[
'uracil in RNA takes the place of thymine in DNA',
'thymine in DNA takes the place of uracil in RNA',
],
[
'the DNA sugar is dexoyribose, RNA has a different sugar',
'the RNA sugar is ribose, DNA has a different sugar',
],
[
'RNA nucleotides have a 2′ hydroxide (-OH) group, DNA does not',
'DNA nucleotides are missing the 2′ hydroxide (-OH) group',
'DNA contains one less hydroxyl (-OH) group than RNA',
],
[
'double-stranded RNA is mostly in the A-form helix, whereas double-stranded DNA is mostly in the B-form helix',
'double-stranded DNA is mostly in the B-form helix, whereas double-stranded RNA is mostly in the A-form helix',
],
[
'Both DNA and RNA have a negative charge',
],
[
'Both double-stranded DNA and double-stranded RNA have major and minor grooves',
],
[
'DNA has a regular consistent structure, whereas RNA adopts a wide variety of tertiary structures',
'RNA adopts a wide variety of tertiary structures',
'DNA has a regular consistent structure',
],
[
'RNA can form a double-stranded helix',
'Both DNA and RNA can form a double-stranded helix',
],
);
@false_groups = (
[
'RNA is usually double-stranded (duplex), whereas DNA is usually single-stranded (simplex)',
'DNA is usually single-stranded (simplex), whereas RNA is usually double-stranded (duplex)',
],
[
'uracil in DNA takes the place of thymine in RNA',
'thymine in RNA takes the place of uracil in DNA',
'uracil in RNA takes the place of cytosine in DNA',
'uracil in RNA takes the place of guanine in DNA',
'uracil in RNA takes the place of adenine in DNA',
'thymine in DNA takes the place of cytosine in RNA',
'thymine in DNA takes the place of guanine in RNA',
'thymine in DNA takes the place of adenine in RNA',
],
[
'the DNA sugar is ribose, RNA has a different sugar',
'the RNA sugar is deoxyribose, DNA has a different sugar',
],
[
'DNA nucleotides have a 2′ hydroxide (-OH) group, RNA does not',
'RNA nucleotides are missing the 2′ hydroxide (-OH) group compared to DNA',
'RNA nucleotides have an extra 4′ hydroxide (-OH) group, DNA does not',
'DNA nucleotides are missing the 4′ hydroxide (-OH) group compared to RNA',
'RNA contains one less hydroxyl (-OH) group than DNA',
],
[
'double-stranded DNA is mostly in the A-form helix, whereas double-stranded RNA is mostly in the B-form helix',
'double-stranded RNA is mostly in the B-form helix, whereas double-stranded DNA is mostly in the A-form helix',
],
[
'DNA has a negative charge, RNA has a positive charge',
'RNA has a negative charge, DNA has a positive charge',
'DNA has a positive charge, RNA has a negative charge',
'RNA has a positive charge, DNA has a negative charge',
'Both DNA and RNA have a positive charge',
],
[
'RNA is made of nucleotides, DNA is made of amino acids',
'DNA is made of nucleotides, RNA is made of amino acids',
],
[
'DNA has a sugar-phosphate backbone, RNA does not',
'RNA has a sugar-phosphate backbone, DNA does not',
],
[
'double-stranded DNA has major and minor grooves, double-stranded RNA does not',
'double-stranded RNA has major and minor grooves, double-stranded DNA does not',
],
[
'RNA has a regular consistent structure, whereas DNA adopts a wide variety of tertiary structures',
'DNA adopts a wide variety of tertiary structures',
'RNA has a regular consistent structure',
],
[
'RNA cannot form a double-stranded helix',
'DNA can form a double-stranded helix, but RNA cannot',
],
);
#==========================================================
# GLOBAL SETTINGS
#==========================================================
$topic = 'differences between RNA and DNA';
my $local_random = PGrandom->new();
$local_random->srand($problemSeed);
my @mode_choices = ("TRUE", "FALSE");
$mode = $mode_choices[$local_random->random(0, $#mode_choices, 1)];
$num_distractors = 4;
#==========================================================
# SELECT GROUP
#==========================================================
my (@selected_group, @opposite_groups);
if ($mode eq "TRUE") {
$group_index = $local_random->random(0, scalar(@true_groups)-1, 1);
@selected_group = @{ $true_groups[$group_index] };
@opposite_groups = @false_groups;
} else {
$group_index = $local_random->random(0, scalar(@false_groups)-1, 1);
@selected_group = @{ $false_groups[$group_index] };
@opposite_groups = @true_groups;
}
#==========================================================
# PICK CORRECT + DISTRACTORS
#==========================================================
my $correct_index = $local_random->random(0, $#selected_group, 1);
$correct = $selected_group[$correct_index];
my @available_group_indices = (0 .. $#opposite_groups);
my @selected_distractor_indices = ();
while (@selected_distractor_indices < $num_distractors && @available_group_indices > 0) {
my $random_index = $local_random->random(0, scalar(@available_group_indices)-1, 1);
push @selected_distractor_indices, splice(@available_group_indices, $random_index, 1);
}
@distractors = ();
foreach my $group_idx (@selected_distractor_indices) {
my @group = @{ $opposite_groups[$group_idx] };
my $distractor_index = $local_random->random(0, $#group, 1);
my $distractor = $group[$distractor_index];
push @distractors, $distractor;
}
@choices = ($correct, @distractors);
#==========================================================
# SHUFFLE CHOICES (SEED-STABLE)
#==========================================================
my @choice_indices = (0 .. $#choices);
my @choice_shuffled = ();
while (@choice_indices) {
my $pick = $local_random->random(0, $#choice_indices, 1);
push @choice_shuffled, splice(@choice_indices, $pick, 1);
}
@choices = @choices[@choice_shuffled];
#==========================================================
# RADIO BUTTONS WITH A/B/C/D/E LABELS
#==========================================================
$rb = RadioButtons(
[@choices],
$correct,
labels => ['A','B','C','D','E'],
displayLabels => 1,
randomize => 0,
separator => '',
);
#==========================================================
# PGML
#==========================================================
BEGIN_PGML
[@ $mode eq "TRUE" ? "Which one of the following statements is TRUE about $topic?" : "Which one of the following statements is FALSE about $topic?" @]*
[_]{$rb}
END_PGML
ENDDOCUMENT();