Table of contents

1. Introduction to Genetics51m
2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
8. DNA Replication1h 10m
9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
10. Transcription1h 0m
11. Translation58m
12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
14. Genetic Control of Development44m
15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
16. Transposable Elements47m
17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- Genetic Cloning
  9m
- Methods for Analyzing DNA
  9m
19. Cancer Genetics29m
- Overview of Cancer
  21m
- Cancer Mutations
  7m
20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
21. Population Genetics50m
- Hardy Weinberg
  19m
- Allelic Frequency Changes
  31m
22. Evolutionary Genetics29m

7. DNA and Chromosome Structure

DNA Structure

Genetics

7. DNA and Chromosome Structure

DNA Structure

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1:28 minutes

Problem 9b

Textbook Question

Consider the sequence 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5'.
What is the total number of covalent bonds joining the nucleotides in each strand?

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the number of nucleotides in the given sequence. The sequence provided is 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5', which contains 10 nucleotides.

Understand that each nucleotide in a DNA strand is connected to the next nucleotide by a phosphodiester bond. These bonds form between the 3' hydroxyl group of one nucleotide and the 5' phosphate group of the next nucleotide.

Calculate the number of phosphodiester bonds in the strand. Since there are 10 nucleotides, the number of phosphodiester bonds will be one less than the number of nucleotides, which is 10 - 1 = 9.

Account for the covalent bonds within each nucleotide. Each nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base, all of which are connected by covalent bonds. There are 3 covalent bonds within each nucleotide.

Combine the total number of covalent bonds. Add the covalent bonds within the nucleotides (10 nucleotides × 3 covalent bonds each) to the phosphodiester bonds (9), resulting in the total number of covalent bonds in the strand.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Covalent Bonds in Nucleotides

Covalent bonds in nucleotides are formed between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the sugar of the next nucleotide in a DNA or RNA strand. Each nucleotide is linked to its neighbor through a phosphodiester bond, which is a type of covalent bond. This linkage creates the backbone of the nucleic acid strand, providing structural integrity.

Nucleotide Structure

A nucleotide consists of three components: a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar (deoxyribose in DNA and ribose in RNA), and a nitrogenous base. The sequence of these nucleotides encodes genetic information. Understanding the structure of nucleotides is essential for determining how many covalent bonds are present in a given sequence.

Counting Covalent Bonds

To determine the total number of covalent bonds in a nucleic acid strand, one must count the number of nucleotides and recognize that each bond connects adjacent nucleotides. For a strand of 'n' nucleotides, there are 'n-1' covalent bonds, as the first nucleotide does not have a preceding bond. This counting method is crucial for accurately answering questions about nucleic acid structures.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

The following figure (Figure 1.6) presents simplified depictions of nucleotides containing deoxyribose, a nucleotide base, and a phosphate group. Use this simplified method of representation to illustrate the sequence 3'-AGTCGAT-5' and its complementary partner in a DNA duplex.

How many phosphodiester bonds are present in this DNA duplex?

353

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Textbook Question

What kind of bonds join the C in one strand to the G in the complementary strand?

411

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Textbook Question

What kind of bond joins the C to G within a single strand?

363

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Textbook Question

Consider the sequence 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5'.

What is the total number of noncovalent bonds joining the nucleotides of the complementary strands?

525

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Textbook Question

Consider the sequence 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5'.

What is the double-stranded sequence?

608

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Textbook Question

Draw the chemical structure of the three components of a nucleotide, and then link the three together. What atoms are removed from the structures when the linkages are formed?

732

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Textbook Question

How are the carbon and nitrogen atoms of the sugars, purines, and pyrimidines numbered?

623

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Textbook Question

Human adult hemoglobin is a tetramer containing two alpha (α) and two beta (β) polypeptide chains. The α gene cluster on chromosome 16 and the β gene cluster on chromosome 11 share amino acid similarities such that 61 of the amino acids of the α-globin polypeptide (141 amino acids long) are shared in identical sequence with the β-globin polypeptide (146 amino acids long). How might one explain the existence of two polypeptides with partially shared function and structure on two different chromosomes?

478

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Consider the sequence 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5'.What is the total number of covalent bonds joining the nucleotides in each strand?

Key Concepts

Covalent Bonds in Nucleotides

Nucleotide Structure

Counting Covalent Bonds

Watch next

Consider the sequence 3'-ACGCTACGTC-5'.
What is the total number of covalent bonds joining the nucleotides in each strand?