A new organism was identi?ed that contained arsenic in place of phosphate in its DNA double helix structure. Based upon this information alone, it can be determined that this change will greatly alter the information encoded by this genetic material.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The information encoded in DNA is determined by the sequence of the nucleotide bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine), not by the presence of phosphate or arsenic in the backbone of the DNA molecule.

A New Organism Was Identi?ed That Contained Arsenic in Place