Final answer:
The smallest fragment produced by a restriction enzyme like BamHI is not specified, but BamHI creates sticky ends with unpaired nucleotides that can easily anneal with complementary DNA sequences, facilitating the creation of recombinant DNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The smallest fragment produced by a restriction enzyme is not explicitly mentioned in the information provided. However, we can discuss how restriction enzymes like BamHI work. BamHI is a type-II restriction enzyme that recognizes a specific palindromic sequence in DNA and creates a staggered cut, which produces sticky ends. Sticky ends have unpaired nucleotides that can hydrogen bond with complementary sequences of DNA, as shown in the cleavage process by BamHI.
After BamHI cleaves the DNA, the products have overhanging single-stranded DNA at the ends. These ends are sticky because they can easily form base pairs with complementary strands of DNA. They are called sticky because they can readily anneal with any DNA fragment that has a complementary sticky end. The ability to form these connections is crucial in the process of making recombinant DNA, which can be used in various biotechnology applications.
The DNA sequence for BamHI and the resulting sticky ends are not provided in the question, but the cleavage pattern would look something like this:
Where the enzyme cuts between the G and the ATCC on one strand, and between the CCTAG and G on the complementary strand, leaving overhangs that are complementary to each other.