The mRNA The Key Ingredient In Some COVID-19 Vaccines – The Messenger Molecule That’s Been In Every Living Cell For Billions Of Years
One surprising star of the coronavirus pandemic response has been the molecule called mRNA. It’s the key ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. But mRNA itself is not a new invention from the lab. It evolved billions of years ago and is naturally found in every cell in your body. Scientists think RNA originated in the earliest life forms, even before DNA existed.
Here’s a crash course in just what mRNA is and the important job it does.
Meet the genetic middleman
You probably know about DNA. It’s the molecule that contains all of your genes spelled out in a four-letter code – A, C, G and T.
DNA is found inside the cells of every living thing. It’s protected in a part of the cell called the nucleus. The genes are the details in the DNA blueprint for all the physical charac...