What is the Difference Between rDNA and cDNA?

The difference between rDNA and cDNA lies in their formation and applications. Here are the key differences:

1. Formation: rDNA or recombinant DNA is formed by joining together two DNA fragments from two different sources. In contrast, cDNA or complementary DNA is formed by the reverse transcription of mRNAs.
2. Enzymes: Restriction enzymes and ligases are required to synthesize rDNA, while reverse transcriptases are required to synthesize cDNA.
3. Synthesis: rDNA can only be synthesized artificially outside the cell, while cDNA can be synthesized both naturally within the cell and artificially.
4. Applications: rDNA is useful in synthesizing recombinant proteins that are used in various pharmaceutical products. cDNA, on the other hand, finds applications in gene cloning, cDNA library creation, PCR, and RT-PCR.

In summary, rDNA is formed by joining DNA fragments from different sources and is used to produce recombinant proteins, while cDNA is formed from mRNA by reverse transcription and is used in various DNA technologies such as gene cloning and PCR.

Comparative Table: rDNA vs cDNA

Here is a table comparing the differences between rDNA (recombinant DNA) and cDNA (complementary DNA):

rDNA is formed by joining together DNA fragments from different sources, while cDNA is synthesized by reverse transcription of mRNAs. Restriction enzymes and ligases are required for rDNA synthesis, whereas reverse transcriptases are needed for cDNA synthesis. rDNA can only be synthesized artificially outside the cell, whereas cDNA can be synthesized both naturally and artificially.