If a DNA molecule were known to be 22% thymine (T),what would be the percentage of guanine (G)present?
A) 8%
B) 11%
C) 22%
D) 28%
E) 78%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In DNA, thymine pairs with adenine (A) and guanine pairs with cytosine (C). If a DNA molecule is 22% thymine, it must also be 22% adenine since each base pair must add up to 100%. Thus, the remaining 56% must be split between guanine and cytosine. However, since guanine and cytosine only pair with each other, they must be present in equal amounts. Therefore, the percentage of guanine would be 28% (half of the remaining 56%).

If a DNA Molecule Were Known to Be 22% Thymine