Without DNA repair,the error rate of DNA polymerase is about one for every hundred thousand bases replicated.If an organism has a haploid genome of 2 billion base pairs,how many mutations are likely to occur each time a diploid cell replicates its DNA?
A) 20
B) 40
C) 80
D) 20,000
E) 40,000

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The error rate of DNA polymerase is about one for every hundred thousand bases replicated. An organism with a haploid genome of 2 billion base pairs will have a diploid genome of 4 billion base pairs. Each time a diploid cell replicates its DNA, it will replicate 4 billion base pairs. Therefore, the number of mutations that are likely to occur each time a diploid cell replicates its DNA is 4 billion / 100,000 = 40,000.

Without DNA Repair,the Error Rate of DNA Polymerase Is About