Question

In an experiment, DNA is treated with a compound which tends to place itself amongst the stacks of nitrogenous base pairs. As a result of this, the distance between two consecutive bases increases, from 0.34 nm to 0.44 nm. Calculate the length of the DNA double helix (which has $2\times {10}^{9}bp$) in the presence of a saturating amount of this compound.

Answer 1

Formula:

Length of the DNA double helix can be calculated by the formula = Number of base pairs in the double helix $\times$ Distance between two consecutive base pairs.

$CalculationoflengthofDNAdoublehelix:$

Number of base pairs in the double helix $=2\times {10}^{9}bp$

Distance between two consecutive base pairs $=0.44nm=0.44\times {10}^{-9}m$

Length of the DNA double helix in the presence of compound $=2\times {10}^9\times 0.44\times {10}^{-9}$

$=0.88m$

$Finalanswer:$

0.88 m