Question

Solve the riddle by determining which base could be speaking.

"Although my nucleotide partner in double-stranded DNA is nearly twice my size, we are remarkably well matched. Of course, when the heat is on, we tend to go our separate ways easily because we are only connected by two hydrogen bonds. Who am I?" Choose one:
A. thymine
B. cytosine
C. guanine
D. uracil
E. adenine

Answer 1

Thymine is the base that would be speaking in the riddle, as it pairs with the nearly twice as large adenine and is connected by two hydrogen bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the riddle, we need to determine which base in DNA would be speaking if it mentioned being paired with a partner nearly twice its size but only connected by two hydrogen bonds. In DNA, the base adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). Based on the information provided, we can discard guanine because it pairs with cytosine through three hydrogen bonds, not two.

Thymine is a single-ringed base that pairs with the double-ringed base adenine which is nearly twice its size; thymine is the correct answer because adenine and thymine are held together by just two hydrogen bonds. Thus, the base speaking in the riddle is thymine (A).

Answer 2

The riddle by determining which base could be speaking is thymine.

Step-by-step explanation:

In DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), forming two hydrogen bonds between them. Adenine is indeed nearly twice the size of thymine. When the riddle mentions going separate ways easily under heat, it alludes to the fact that the bond between adenine and thymine is weaker due to only two hydrogen bonds.

This is in contrast to the pair cytosine (C) forms with guanine (G), which involves three hydrogen bonds and is more stable under heat. Therefore, the characteristics described in the riddle perfectly match thymine, making it the correct answer.

DNA, the molecular basis of inheritance, consists of two complementary strands. The specificity in pairing of nucleotides—adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine—is crucial for maintaining genetic information during processes like replication and transcription. The size difference between adenine and thymine is a notable feature, emphasizing their compatibility despite this dissimilarity.

The weakened bond between adenine and thymine due to only two hydrogen bonds facilitates the unwinding of the DNA strands during essential cellular processes. Overall, the riddle highlights the distinct features of thymine in the context of DNA structure and function.