You have a polymer of DNA with 10 adenine bases followed by 10 cytosine bases. If that strand bonded to a strand of 20 thymine bases, how would the double helix shape vary from a typical DNA double helix?
A) The double helix would be longer than normal.
B) The double helix would be shorter than normal.
C) One strand of the double helix would be longer than the other strand.
D) The width of the double helix would vary along the length of the strand.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

DNA strands pair adenine (A) with thymine (T) and cytosine (C) with guanine (G), not thymine. Since the given strand has adenine and cytosine, it should pair with thymine and guanine, respectively, for a typical double helix. Pairing a strand of 10 adenine and 10 cytosine bases with a strand of 20 thymine bases is incorrect, as cytosine should pair with guanine. This mismatch would cause irregularities in the double helix structure, affecting its width along the length due to improper base pairing, not its length or the relative lengths of the two strands.

You Have a Polymer of DNA with 10 Adenine Bases