Question

The percentage of thymine (T) in a given segment of double-stranded DNA is 36\%36%36, percent.

What are the percentages of the remaining nucleotides?

Answer 1

In a double-stranded DNA segment with 36% thymine, Chargaff's rules lead us to find that adenine is also 36%, while guanine and cytosine are each 14%.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question seeks to understand the percentages of each nucleotide in a segment of double-stranded DNA, given that the percentage of thymine (T) is 36%. According to Chargaff's rules, which are fundamental in molecular biology, the number of adenine (A) bases is equal to the number of thymine (T) bases, and the number of guanine (G) bases is equal to the number of cytosine (C) bases in double-stranded DNA. Since T is 36%, A will also be 36%. Therefore, A + T equals 72%, leaving 28% for G + C. Since G and C are present in equal amounts, each will be 14%.

Thus, the percentages of the nucleotides are as follows:

• Adenine (A): 36%
• Thymine (T): 36%
• Guanine (G): 14%
• Cytosine (C): 14%

Answer 2

Adenine-36%

Guanine-14%

Cytosine-14%

Step-by-step explanation:

DNA is made up of two long polynucleotide chains, each called strands. The four nucleotides that make up the DNA molecule are Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C) and Thymine (T).

According to Chargaff in his complementary base pairing rule, Adenine always hydrogen bonds to Thymine while Guanine always pairs with Cytosine i.e. A-T, G-C. Chargaff also stated that in the DNA strand, the amount of purine bases (Adenine and Guanine) is always in an equal proportion with pyrimidine bases (Thymine and Cytosine) or simply put the amount of Adenine equals the amount of Thymine and the amount of Guanine equals the amount of Cytosine. A=T + G=C = 100%.

Based on this, if a DNA molecule has 36% Thymine, it automatically means the percentage of Adenine will also be 36%. Hence, we have A+T= 72%.

The remaining percentage to be shared among Guanine and Cytosine is 100 - 72 = 28%

Since G=C, Each base will contain 28/2 = 14%. Hence, Guanine is 14% while Cytosine is also 14%.

The percentage of the other nucleotides are Adenine (36%), Guanine (14%), and Cytosine (14%).