Final answer:
The length of the Elradicus libanii DNA molecule is 17 micrometers, which equals 17,000 nanometers. Since each base pair is separated by 0.34 nm, the molecule contains 50,000 base pairs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The double-stranded DNA molecule of Elradicus libanii was found by electron microscopy to have a length of 17 micrometers. To determine how many base pairs are present in this DNA molecule, we can use the fact that in DNA, each base pair is separated from the next by a distance of 0.34 nm. One micrometer (1 μm) is equivalent to 1000 nanometers (nm), so 17 μm is 17,000 nm. By dividing the total length in nanometers by the distance between base pairs, we find the number of base pairs:
17,000 nm / 0.34 nm per base pair = 50,000 base pairs
Therefore, the correct answer is (c) 50,000 base pairs.