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Why are DNA bases described as complementary?

Why are DNA bases described as complementary?

The nucleotides in a base pair are complementary which means their shape allows them to bond together with hydrogen bonds. The A-T pair forms two hydrogen bonds. The C-G pair forms three. The hydrogen bonding between complementary bases holds the two strands of DNA together.

What does it mean to say that DNA is complementary?

Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is DNA in which the sequence of the constituent molecules on one strand of the double stranded structure chemically matches the sequence on the other strand.

Why complementarity between base pairs in a DNA strand is possible?

Two complementary strands of DNA come together thanks to hydrogen bonding between the nitrogenous bases that allows DNA to make a ladder-like form that twists into the famous double-helix. It’s bonding between the nitrogenous bases that allows for this structure to form.

Why are the strands of DNA said to be complementary to each other quizlet?

What is meant when we say that DNA strands are Complementary? Because each DNA strand can be used to make the other Strand, the strands are said to be complementary. The DNA molecules separate into two strands. Then, 2 new complementary strands are produced following the rules of Base Pairing.

Why is complementary DNA used in recombinant DNA technology?

cDNA is often used to clone eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes. When scientists want to express a specific protein in a cell that does not normally express that protein (i.e., heterologous expression), they will transfer the cDNA that codes for the protein to the recipient cell.

Why is complementary base pairing advantageous?

Function. Complementary base pairing is important in DNA as it allows the base pairs to be arranged in the most energetically favourable way; it is essential in forming the helical structure of DNA. It is also important in replication as it allows semiconservative replication.

What is the complementary strand of a DNA molecule?

Between A and T there are two hydrogen bonds, while there are three between C and G. Right: two complementary strands of DNA….DNA and RNA base pair complementarity.

Nucleic Acid Nucleobases Base complement
DNA adenine(A), thymine(T), guanine(G), cytosine(C) A = T, G ≡ C

When DNA makes a complementary strand of DNA the process is known as?

Then, a protein known as helicase attaches to and breaks apart the hydrogen bonds between the bases on the DNA strands, thereby pulling apart the two strands. As the helicase moves along the DNA molecule, it continues breaking these hydrogen bonds and separating the two polynucleotide chains (Figure 1).

What are the strands of DNA said to be complementary to each other?

The nitrogen bases can only pair in a certain way: A pairing with T and C pairing with G. Due to the base pairing, the DNA strands are complementary to each other, run in opposite directions, and are called antiparallel strands.

What is the importance of DNA complementarity?

Complementarity of DNA strands in a double helix make it possible to use one strand as a template to construct the other. This principle plays an important role in DNA replication, setting the foundation of heredity by explaining how genetic information can be passed down to the next generation.

What does complementary DNA do?

Complementary DNA is usually used to cloned eukaryotic genes in prokaryotes to express specific proteins and is naturally produced by retrovirus like HIV-1 which able to incorporate to the host genome where it creates a provirus.