Question

If you cut a linear piece of DNA 2 times with a restriction enzyme, how many pieces would result?

a) 1 piece
b) 2 pieces
c) 3 pieces
d) 4 pieces

Answer 1

When you cut a linear piece of DNA twice with a restriction enzyme, you typically end up with three pieces.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you cut a linear piece of DNA 2 times with a restriction enzyme, you would generally expect to end up with 3 pieces. This is because a single cut would divide the DNA into two pieces, and the second cut would divide one of those two pieces into two, making a total of three separate pieces. The cuts made by the restriction enzyme at specific recognition sites result in the cleavage of the phosphodiester bonds within the DNA molecule.