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Multiple Choice
How many different RNA molecules can be made by bonding five nucleotides together, considering the four types of nucleotides available?
A
128
B
625
C
256
D
1024
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that RNA molecules are composed of sequences of nucleotides, and there are four types of nucleotides in RNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and uracil (U).
Recognize that each position in the RNA sequence can be occupied by any of the four nucleotides. Therefore, for each position, there are 4 possible choices.
Since the problem involves bonding five nucleotides together, consider the number of choices for each of the five positions in the sequence.
Use the formula for permutations where each position can be filled by any of the four nucleotides: \(4^5\). This represents the total number of different combinations possible.
Calculate \(4^5\) to determine the total number of different RNA molecules that can be formed. This calculation involves multiplying 4 by itself five times.