The two strands of a DNA double helix can be separated with relative ease because
A) hydrogen bonds between nitrogenous bases are relatively weak.
B) phosphodiester bonds between sugars and phosphates of nucleotides are relatively weak.
C) hydrogen bonds between sugars and phosphates of nucleotides are relatively weak.
D) phosphodiester bonds between nitrogenous bases are relatively weak.
E) phosphodiester bonds between DNA and complementary RNA bases are relatively weak.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The two strands of a DNA double helix can be separated with relative ease because the hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases (A, T, C, and G) are relatively weak. These bonds can be broken by disrupting the interactions between the complementary base pairs, for example, through heating or chemical denaturation. The phosphodiester bonds between the sugars and phosphates of nucleotides form the backbone of each strand and are relatively strong, so they do not break easily during DNA replication or transcription.

The Two Strands of a DNA Double Helix Can Be