Question:

If the length of a DNA molecule is 1.1 metres, what will be the approximate number of base pairs?

Updated On: May 2, 2025
  • 3.3 × 109 bp
  • 6.6 × 109 bp
  • 3.3 × 106 bp
  • 6.6 × 106 bp
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The problem requires calculating the number of base pairs in a DNA molecule that is 1.1 meters long. We know:

  • The typical length of DNA base pair is approximately 0.34 nanometers (nm).

To find the number of base pairs, first convert the DNA's length from meters to nanometers:

1 meter = 109 nanometers

Therefore, the length of the DNA molecule in nanometers:

1.1 meters = 1.1 × 109 nm

Now, calculate the number of base pairs by dividing the total length in nanometers by the length of one base pair:

Number of base pairs = 1.1 × 109 nm / 0.34 nm

Number of base pairs ≈ 3.235 × 109 bp

Approximating gives us approximately 3.3 × 109 base pairs.

This matches the answer: 3.3 × 109 bp

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Concepts Used:

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

DNA Replication:

DNA synthesis is commenced at particular points within the DNA strand referred to as ‘origins’, which are certain coding regions. There are numerous origin sites, and when replication of DNA starts, these sites are mentioned as replication forks. Within the replication, the complex is the enzyme DNA Helicase, so that they can be utilized as a template for replication. DNA Primase is another enzyme that's essential in DNA replication.

RNA:

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is an essential biological macromolecule that exists all together in biological cells. It is principally involved in the synthesis of proteins, that carry the messenger instructions from DNA, which itself contains the genetic instructions needed for the event and maintenance of life. In some viruses, RNA, in spite of DNA, carries genetic information.

Genetic Code:

Genetic code is the term we use in the manner that the four bases of DNA--the A, C, G, and Ts--are strung together in a way that the ribosome, the cellular machinery, can read them and switch them into a protein. In the ordering, every three nucleotides during a row count as a triplet and code for one amino alkanoic acid.

Read More: Molecular Basis of Inheritance