26. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis

Four species shown below give the percentages of A–T pairings vs G–C pairings. Based on only the information given, which species would have the most significant strength in their base interactions?

Cytosine (C) makes up 42% of the nucleotides in a sample of DNA from an organism. Approximately what percentage of the nucleotides in this sample will be thymine (T)?

Four species shown below give the percentages of A–T pairings vs G–C pairings. Based on only the information given, which species would have the most significant strength in their base interactions?

Cytosine (C) makes up 42% of the nucleotides in a sample of DNA from an organism. Approximately what percentage of the nucleotides in this sample will be thymine (T)?

Draw the structures of adenine and uracil (which replaces thymine in RNA), and show the hydrogen bonding that occurs between them.

(a) DNA and RNA, like proteins, can be denatured to produce unfolded or uncoiled strands. Heating DNA to what is referred to as its “melting temperature” denatures it (the two strands of the double helix become separated). Why does a longer strand of DNA have a higher melting temperature than a shorter one?

a. What is meant by the term base pairing?

What does it mean to speak of bases as being complementary?