Question

The human genome is 3×10⁹ bp in length. Calculate how many fragments would result from the complete digestion of the human genome with specific enzymes?

1) 5.81×10⁵
2) 1.97×10⁴
3) 7.32×10⁵
4) 8.69×10⁵
5) 1.15×10⁷

Answer 1

The digestion of the human genome using specific restriction endonucleases leads to the formation of approximately 700,000 fragments, which can be used to create a genomic library containing all the genes for genetic studies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The human genome is approximately 3 billion base pairs long. When the entire human genome is cleaved by specific restriction enzymes, it typically results in thousands to millions of fragments. As it has been established, the complete digestion of human genomic DNA with these enzymes would cleave it into approximately 700,000 pieces. This is often done to create a genomic library, which contains all the DNA sequences of an organism — such as all the human genes — which can then be used for various genetic studies and manipulations.

The process of sequencing, manipulating, and analyzing the human genome has provided valuable insights into human biology and the genetic basis of diseases. However, to calculate the exact number of fragments that would result from digestion without knowing the specific recognition sequence of the enzymes and the frequency of occurrence in the human genome is not possible.