Question

What are the empirical rules proposed by Chargaff regarding components of DNA?

Answer 1

Chargaff's Rule:

1. According to Chargaff's rules, DNA from any type of organism should have a 1:1 purine-pyrimidine stoichiometric ratio (i.e., A+G=T+C).
2. The amounts of guanine and adenine should be equivalent to cytosine and thymine, respectively.
3. This rule can be used to verify the presence of a base in DNA as well as the length of the strand.
4. It indicates that the nucleotide sequence on one strand of DNA quickly determine the complementary sequence on the other.
5. Chargaff came to the conclusion that genetic information is carried by DNA in the nucleus of the cell rather than by proteins.