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How loops are formed in tRNA?
In RNA , the strands are single and unpaired which means that short sequences within the strand are free to pair up with partially complimentary regions. For example, a very adenine-rich sequence may bind to a uracil-rich region..

Secondary structure involves interactions between bases to form structures such as helices, hairpin loops, bulges and internal loops. Bulges and internal loops are formed from mis-matched base pairs. Hairpin loops are formed when two complementary strands form a double helix (the stem) with a loop of mis-matched bases at the end.
tRNA is a common example of RNA formed from hairpin loops. All tRNA have the cloverleaf structure at the secondary stage. The acceptor stem is hydrogen bonded, and the arms are formed from hydrogen bonded stems and a single-stranded loop. The double-stranded region forms a short, stacked right-handed helix.Secondary structure serves a range of purposes in RNA. Partially it stabilises RNA in the cell by hiding the charged groups and is involved in the localization of some RNAs, for example during cell division .


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