A genetic researcher isolates a perfectly intact short segment of a DNA double helix. Structural map — Biomolecules Chemistry Question
Question
A genetic researcher isolates a perfectly intact short segment of a DNA double helix. Structural mapping reveals exactly 14 Adenine-Thymine ($A-T$) complementary base pairs and 11 Guanine-Cytosine ($G-C$) complementary base pairs. What is the precise total number of hydrogen bonds stabilizing the core of this DNA segment?
Answer: B
💡 Solution & Explanation
According to the strict Watson-Crick pairing rules, every $A-T$ base pair is held together 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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