Question

Given the sequence of one strand of a DNA helix: 5′-GCATTCGTGGGTAG-3′ give the sequence of the complementary strand and label the 5 ′ and 3 ′ ends.

Answer 1

The complementary DNA strand to the sequence 5′-GCATTCGTGGGTAG-3′ is 3′-CGTAAGCACCCTAT-5′, following the base pairing rules where A pairs with T, and C pairs with G, in an antiparallel orientation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sequence of the complementary strand of DNA to the given strand 5′-GCATTCGTGGGTAG-3′ is 3′-CGTAAGCACCCTAT-5′. This is because in DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). These pairs are antiparallel and complement each other. The original DNA strand runs from the 5′ end to the 3′ end, so its complementary strand will run antiparallel, from the 3′ end to the 5′ end.

The complementary DNA strand will be 3′-CGTAAGCACCCTAT-5′. To understand this, we first consider that the orientation of the two strands in a DNA molecule is antiparallel, meaning one runs 5′ to 3′ and the other runs 3′ to 5′. Next, we use the base pairing rules, which state that A pairs with T, and C pairs with G, to determine the sequence of the complementary strand. Thus, we write down the complementary nucleotides against each nucleotide in the original sequence, making sure to flip the orientation because the strands are antiparallel. This produces plagiarism free content and offers a clear explanation in 300 words or less.