A genetic researcher isolates a very short, intact structural segment of a DNA double helix. Deep st — Biomolecules Chemistry Question
Question
A genetic researcher isolates a very short, intact structural segment of a DNA double helix. Deep structural analysis reveals that this specific segment contains exactly $14$ Adenine-Thymine ($A-T$) complementary base pairs and $11$ Guanine-Cytosine ($G-C$) complementary base pairs. Calculate the precise total number of hydrogen bonds stabilizing the core of this entire DNA segment.
Answer: 61
💡 Solution & Explanation
According to Watson-Crick pairing rules, every $A-T$ base pair is held together securely by exactly $2$ hydrogen bonds, while every $G-C$ pair requires exactly $3$ hydrogen bonds. Total hydrogen bonds = $(14 \times 2) + (11 \times 3) = 28 + 33 = 61$.
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