Given below are two statements :

Statement I : In the RNA world, RNA is considered the first genetic material evolved to carry out essential life processes. RNA acts as a genetic material and also as a catalyst for some important biochemical reactions in living systems. Being reactive, RNA is unstable.

Statement II : DNA evolved from RNA and is a more stable genetic material. Its double helical strands being complementary, resist changes by evolving repairing mechanism.

In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

Statement I says that in the RNA world, RNA was the first genetic material, serving both as an information carrier and as a catalyst, but it is chemically unstable. This reflects the widely accepted RNA‑world hypothesis: early life likely relied on ribonucleic acid because RNA can store genetic information like DNA and also perform enzymatic reactions as ribozymes. The 2′‑hydroxyl group in the ribose sugar makes RNA prone to hydrolysis, which accounts for its relative instability compared to DNA.

Statement II claims that DNA evolved from RNA, is more stable, and its double‑helical, complementary strands provide resistance to change and enable repair mechanisms. Modern biology shows that DNA’s deoxyribose lacks the 2′‑hydroxyl group, giving it greater chemical stability. The antiparallel, complementary strands form a double helix that can be copied accurately, and cellular systems have evolved sophisticated DNA‑repair pathways (e.g., mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair) to maintain genomic integrity.

Both statements accurately describe the current scientific understanding of molecular evolution: RNA likely preceded DNA as the primary genetic material, and DNA later emerged as a more stable repository with built‑in mechanisms for error correction. Therefore, the most appropriate choice is that both statements are correct.