Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 24: Q6P (page 875)

Use the information in Table 11-1 to estimate the half-life, in years, of a phosphodiester bond in DNA.

Short Answer

Expert verified

A phosphodiester bond has a half-life of 548,387 years.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Half-Life period.

The half-life is the amount of time it takes for a quantity to decline to half its original value.

The phosphodiester bond in DNA is dissolved bydeoxyribonuclease enzymes.

02

Identification of the rate of reaction.

The enzyme Staphylococcal nuclease is sufficient to break the phosphodiester link. The Nonenzymatic Reaction Rate s-1 of phosphodiester bond hydrolysis is1.7×10-13 as seen in the table.

03

Calculation of the half-life of phosphodiester bond.

As a result, one reaction takes1.7×1013seconds. A year is made up of3.1×107.

Now, figure out how many years are1.7×1013seconds:

1.7×10133.1×107=548,387years

Hence, a phosphodiester bond has a half-life of 548,387 years.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

E. coli ribosomes contain three RNA molecules named for their sedimentation behavior: 5S, 16S, and 23S. Draw a diagram showing the approximate positions of the three RNA species following electrophoresis.

What is the role of histones in compacting DNA

A standard A - T base pair is shown in Fig. 24-1. Under certain conditions, an adenine residue in B-DNA can transiently adopt the syn conformation. Draw the resultingbase pair. (Hint: It has two hydrogen bonds.) Is the helix diameter larger or smaller in this alternate arrangement?

Compare the melting temperature of a 1-kb segment of DNA containing 20%A residues to that of a 1 - kbsegment containing 30%Aresidues under the same conditions.

Why do restriction endonucleases make both site-specific and nonspecific contacts with DNA?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Biology Textbooks

Control of Gene Expression

Read Explanation

Heredity

Read Explanation

Biological Processes

Read Explanation

Microbiology

Read Explanation

Genetic Information

Read Explanation

Cells

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free