Question

How far is each base pair from the next one in the DNA double helix model?
(A)2 nm
(B)3.4 nm
(C)34nm
(D)0.34 nm

Answer 1

Hint: Each base pair from the next one in the DNA double helix model is 3.4 Angstrom apart. The Å unit can be easily converted to a nanometer as you all know that 1 Å is equal to 0.1 nm.

Complete answer:
 Each base pair from the next one in the DNA double helix model is 0.34 nm apart. ‘bp’ is defined as the base pair(s). The single base pair comes out to be approximately 3.4 Å of length along the strand, and roughly 618 or 643 daltons for DNA and RNA respectively.

Additional Information: A nucleotide, if specifically considered, the 'base pair' is a basic unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases sure to one another by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA and RNA. The bases are joined by the specific hydrogen bonding patterns, "Watson–Crick" base pairs (guanine-cytosine and adenine–thymine) allow the DNA helix to take care of a daily helical structure that's subtly hooked into its nucleotide sequence. This based-paired structure helps in providing a redundant copy of the genetic information encoded within each strand of DNA. The regular structure which was due to the DNA helix makes DNA compatible with the storage of genetic information, while base-pairing between DNA and incoming nucleotides provides the mechanism through which DNA polymerase replicates the molecule of DNA and RNA polymerase transcribes DNA into the RNA. It was seen that many DNA-binding proteins can recognize specific base-pairing patterns that help to identify particular regulatory regions of genes.
So, the correct answer is ‘0.34 nm’.

Note: The DNA molecule was first observed by a German biochemist named Frederich Miescher in 1869. But for a few years, researchers didn't realize the importance of this molecule. It was after the year 1953 that Watson, Crick, Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin found out the structure of DNA, a double helix which they realized could carry biological information.