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Multiple Choice
Which of the following sequences of DNA would most likely be damaged by UV radiation?
A
ATCGTA
B
TTAGCC
C
GCGCGA
D
TTAGTT
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that UV radiation primarily causes damage to DNA by inducing the formation of thymine dimers. Thymine dimers occur when two adjacent thymine bases bond together, disrupting the DNA structure.
Identify the sequences provided: ATCGTA, TTAGCC, GCGCGA, and TTAGTT. Look for sequences with adjacent thymine bases, as these are susceptible to forming thymine dimers.
Examine each sequence: ATCGTA has one pair of adjacent thymines (TA), TTAGCC has one pair (TT), GCGCGA has no adjacent thymines, and TTAGTT has two pairs of adjacent thymines (TT and TT).
Recognize that the sequence with the most adjacent thymine pairs is more likely to be damaged by UV radiation due to the increased likelihood of thymine dimer formation.
Conclude that TTAGTT is the sequence most likely to be damaged by UV radiation, as it contains two pairs of adjacent thymine bases, making it more susceptible to thymine dimer formation.