TNA (nucleic acid)

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TNA is threose nucleic acid, a chemical similar to DNA or RNA but differing in the composition of its "backbone." TNA is not known to occur naturally in existing life on Earth.

DNA and RNA have a deoxyribose and ribose sugar backbone, respectively, whereas TNA's backbone is composed of repeating threose units linked by peptide bonds. The threose molecule is easier to assemble than ribose making it a possible precursor to RNA.

DNA TNA hybrid chains have been made in the laboratory using DNA polymerase.

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