Two antiparallel strands of DNA combine to form a double helix. The specific interactions that permit this phenomenon occur by way of bonds between .
A) ionic; deoxyriboses
B) hydrogen; deoxyriboses
C) ionic; phosphate groups
D) hydrogen; nitrogenous bases
E) ionic; nitrogenous bases

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The specific interactions that allow the two antiparallel strands of DNA to bind together in a double helix are hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases. Specifically, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and guanine (G) pairs with cytosine (C) through hydrogen bonding. These hydrogen bonds occur between the base pairs, not between the deoxyriboses or phosphate groups. Ionic bonding may occur between phosphate groups, but it does not play a significant role in stabilizing the double helix structure of DNA.

Two Antiparallel Strands of DNA Combine to Form a Double