How many base pairs are in a molecule of phage T2 DNA 52-µm long?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the problem asks for the number of base pairs in a DNA molecule given its length in micrometers (µm).
2. Recall that the length of DNA can be related to the number of base pairs by knowing the length per base pair. For double-stranded DNA, the average distance between adjacent base pairs is approximately 0.34 nanometers (nm).
3. Convert the length of the DNA molecule from micrometers to nanometers to match the units of base pair spacing. Since 1 µm = 1000 nm, multiply the length by 1000: \$52 \, \mu m \times 1000 = 52000 \text{ nm}$.
4. Use the formula to calculate the number of base pairs: \(\text{Number of base pairs} = \frac{\text{Total length in nm}}{\text{Length per base pair in nm}} = \frac{52000}{0.34}\).
5. Perform the division to find the number of base pairs in the DNA molecule.

Key Concepts

DNA Structure and Base Pairing

DNA is composed of two strands forming a double helix, with base pairs (adenine-thymine and guanine-cytosine) connecting the strands. The length of DNA can be measured in base pairs, which represent the number of paired nucleotides along the molecule.

DNA Length Measurement and Conversion

The physical length of DNA molecules is often measured in micrometers (µm), but to find the number of base pairs, one must convert this length using the known distance between base pairs, approximately 0.34 nanometers (nm) per base pair.

Phage T2 DNA Characteristics

Phage T2 is a bacteriophage with a well-studied DNA genome. Knowing its DNA length in micrometers allows calculation of the total base pairs by applying the standard base pair spacing, linking physical measurements to genetic information content.