Perhaps NO - dodo

Absorbance can be determined after gel eletrophoresis is completed by comparing the sample DNA intensity to that of a DNA quantitation standard. Standards used for quantitation should be labelled in the same way and be the same size as the sample DNA being analyzed. In order to visualize the DNA in the agarose gel, staining with an ethidium bromide or SYBR Green is required. This method is useful for cases where concentration is too low to accurately assess with spectrophotometry and in cases where contaminants absorbing at 260nm make accurate quantitation by that method impossible

Dear Chandra

Why dont you try gel electrophoresis? The two most common observations in spectometers -

1 - Spectrophotometers doesn't have wavelength accuracy, It is possible to see as much as a 0.4 difference in the 260/280 ratio when measuring the same nucleic acid sample on two spectrophotometers that are both within a 1 nm wavelength accuracy specification. 

2 - change in sample acidity, small changes in the pH of the solution will cause the 260/ 280 to vary (1). Acidic solutions will under-represent the 260/280 ratio by 0.2-

0.3, while a basic solution w ill over-represent the ratio by 0.2-0.3.  It is important to ensure that the undiluted and diluted sample are at the same pH and ionic strength. 

Lekha,

You can have a check for absorbance value to carry on your RNA but the instrument doesn't distinguish between the nucleic acids. As other researches stated you can have an quality check for your nucleic acids (both not as single) at various nm.

Degraded RNA can cause an increased absorbance at 260 nm, hence you cannot differentiate the nucleic acids

Spectrophotometer doesn't work probably as nucleic acids absorbs at 260nm (not to confuse - only extinction coeff. differ between them).

If you can use make small aliquot's and apply any one of the following methods:

1. Treat with restriction enzyme, which cleaves only DNA and perform electrophoresis

2.Suspend in mild alkaline solution,which hydrolyze RNA but retain DNA

3. Treat RNA with RNase, DNA with DNase and perform electrophoresis