A researcher is trying to determine the contents of a viral genome. Upon chemical analysis, the nucleic acid is found to contain 27% cytosine, 27% adenine, 23% uracil, and 23% guanine. Based on this data, the viral genome most likely consists of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The percentages of cytosine, adenine, uracil, and guanine suggest that the viral genome is made up of RNA, not DNA. RNA contains uracil instead of thymine, which is found in DNA. The equal percentages of cytosine and adenine suggest that the RNA is single-stranded rather than double-stranded, as double-stranded RNA would have base pairing between complementary nucleotides.

A Researcher Is Trying to Determine the Contents of a Viral