a scientist is attempting to provide support for the hypothesis that rna was the first genetic material. which of the following would be a workable alternate hypothesis? responses rna, like dna, is a carrier of genetic information and contains the nitrogen bases adenine, guanine, and cytosine. r n a , like d n a , is a carrier of genetic information and contains the nitrogen bases adenine, guanine, and cytosine. rna can be observed to self-replicate without the assistance of proteins, while dna always requires protein-based enzymes to replicate. r n a can be observed to self-replicate without the assistance of proteins, while d n a always requires protein-based enzymes to replicate. rna exists in both single-stranded and double-stranded configurations; however, it is less stable compared with dna. r n a exists in both single-stranded and double-stranded configurations; however, it is less stable compared with d n a . transfer rna and ribosomal rna are products of transcription, but they are not translated as is mrna.