Consider the Structure of the DNA Double Helix

question 40

Essay

Consider the structure of the DNA double helix.
A.You and a friend want to split a double-stranded DNA molecule so you each have half.Is it better to cut the length of DNA in half so each person has a shorter length, or to separate the strands and each take one strand? Explain.
B.In the original 1953 publication describing the discovery of the structure of DNA, Watson and Crick wrote, "It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairings we have postulated immediately suggest a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material." What did they mean?

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Definitions:

Prokaryotic Translation

The process by which mRNA is decoded by a ribosome to produce a specific protein in prokaryotes, organisms without a nucleus.

Initiation Complex

A complex of proteins and RNA that forms on mRNA to begin the process of translating RNA into a polypeptide chain in the cell.

Nonsense Mutation

A base-pair substitution mutation that results in an amino acid–specifying codon being changed to a termination (stop) codon; when the abnormal mRNA is translated, the resulting protein is usually shortened and nonfunctional. Compare with missense mutation.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides that together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or RNA molecule, representing a specific amino acid.