1. The moon Titan orbits Saturn and is known to have a dense atmosphere and large pools of liquid methane rather than liquid water. Imagine that we evolved there instead of on Earth, and assume a DNA-like molecule is responsible for carrying genetic information in this scenario. Propose changes to the structure of DNA that would make it more likely to evolve in such a place. Draw the structure of your new genetic material, explaining its properties.

1. The moon Titan orbits Saturn and is known to have a dense atmosphere and large pools of liquid methane rather than liquid water. Imagine that we evolved there instead of on Earth, and assume a DNA-like molecule is responsible for carrying genetic information in this scenario. Propose changes to the structure of DNA that would make it more likely to evolve in such a place. Draw the structure of your new genetic material, explaining its properties.

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)

4th Edition

ISBN:9781305389892

Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan

Publisher:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan

Chapter14: Dna Structure And Replication

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 5TYK: Which of the following statements about DNA is false? a. Phosphate is linked to the 5 and 3 carbons...

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1. discuss the effect of temperature on the viscosity of the liquid 2. DNA solution is viscous because of the nature of chemical substance that can intercalate into the DNA helix. An example of such substance is acridine orange. experiments revealed that acridine orange causes an increase in the viscosity of DNA solution.how would you account for this effect?
1. The image below shows the base cytosine and a methylated form of cytosine that occurs frequentlyin the human genome. Use your knowledge of DNA structure to answer these questions: a. Does methylation of cytosine affect its ability to base-pair with guanine? Explain. b. Could methylation of cytosine affect the binding of a protein that interacts with a C-G basepair in the major groove? Explain your answer.
Evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of life, and the continuity of life is based on heritable information in the form of DNA. In a short essay (100-150 words), discuss how the fidelity with which DNA is inherited is related to the processes of evolution. (Review the discussion of proofreading and DNA repair in Concept 16.2.)
1. Which of the following are generated due to the twisting of dsDNA? a. Hydrophobic bonds b. Van der Waal forces c. Hydrogen bonds d. Grooves 2. Which of the following terms refers to the annealing of ssDNA to complementary RNA? a. Homologous combination b. Hybridization c. Denaturation d. Telomere lengthening 3. Which of the following completes this statement? The melting temperature of DNA is the temperature at which__________. a. DNA denatures b. DNA bonds are reinforced c. Solid DNA becomes liquid d. Liquid DNA coils
If 4% of human and chimpanzee DNA differs, how many base pairs differ between the two species? (Hint: The human genome contains 3.2 billion base pairs of DNA.) Is this a large or a small difference? Explain your reasoning.
Which of the following statements about DNA is false? a. Phosphate is linked to the 5 and 3 carbons of adjacentdeoxyribose molecules. b. DNA is bidirectional in its synthesis. c. Each side of the helix is antiparallel to the other. d. The binding of adenine to thymine is through three hydrogenbonds. e. Avery identified DNA as the transforming factor in crossesbetween smooth and rough bacteria.
1. How can you modify your DNA model to reflect changes among DNA molecules? 2. How can a DNA molecule make an exact copy of itself?
1. The definition of a gene is: a. the sum of genetic information in an organism b. a segment of DNA that carries the genetic information needed to make a protein c. the structure into which DNA is packaged d. a segment of RNA that carries the genetic information needed to make a protein 2. In the double-stranded DNA, the base pairs are: a. G-A and T-U b. G-C and A-U c. A-T and G-C d. A-U and G-C
In the concluding statement of Watson and Crick's seminal paper introducing the atomic structureof DNA, they write,"It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulatedmediately suggests a possible copying mecha the genetic material (Watson, JDCrick, 1953)" Some consider this one of the biggest understatements in modern biology, butWatson and Crick couldn't confirm the mechanism for copying DNA because of lack of hardevidence. The scientists were racing to publish ahead of their competitors, so they included thestatement to be able to introduce the model before proof was available. The base-pairing inherentto the structure of DNA certainly strongly suggested a mechanism for creating an identical copy ofthe DNA, but it wasn't proven until Meselson and Stahl (1958) carried out their classic study. Notonly was this a landmark experiment for the essential process it helped to define, but it was alsorecognized for its elegant simplicityFor these reasons. Meselson and…
1. How many genes are needed to sustain life?2. Using a flow diagram, trace the history of the discovery of the DNA as the genetic material?
Let’s suppose you have recently identified an organism that wasscraped from an asteroid that hit the earth. (Fortunately, no onewas injured.) When you analyze this organism, you discover thatits DNA is a triple helix, composed of six different nucleotides: A,T, G, C, X, and Y. You analyze the composition of the DNA andfind the following amounts of the six bases: A = 24%, T = 23%,G = 11%, C = 12%, X = 21%, Y = 9%. What rules would you proposethat govern triplex-DNA formation in this organism? Note: There is more than one possibility.
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