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Chapter 25: Problem 26

Describe the role of hydrogen bonding in maintaining the double-helical structure of DNA.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Hydrogen bonding is crucial in maintaining the double-helical structure of DNA. They hold the pairs of nucleotide bases together allowing the two strands to form a stable structure. These bonds are weak enough to let the strands separate during DNA replication and protein synthesis, yet strong enough to keep the strands together most of the time.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the basics: What is a hydrogen bond?

A hydrogen bond is a weak type of force that forms a special type of dipole-dipole attraction which occurs when a hydrogen atom bonded to a strongly electronegative atom exists in the vicinity of another electronegative atom with a lone pair of electrons. They are much weaker than covalent and ionic bonds.
02

Role of Hydrogen Bonds in DNA

The DNA molecule is made up of two strands, spiraling around each other in the form of a double helix. Each strand is composed of a sugar-phosphate backbone and the nitrogenous bases. The nitrogenous bases on one strand interact with the bases on the opposite strand via hydrogen bonds, which holds the two strands together.
03

Hydrogen Bonds and Stability of DNA Structure

A unique aspect of hydrogen bonds is their perfect strength for maintaining the structure of DNA: they are weak enough to allow the strands to separate during DNA replication and protein synthesis, but they are strong enough to keep the strands together most of the time, maintaining the structure of the DNA. The specific pairing, guanine-cytosine and adenine-thymine, is due to hydrogen bonds. Guanine and cytosine form 3 hydrogen bonds, whereas adenine and thymine form 2 bonds. Therefore, the more G-C pairs a DNA molecule has, the more stable it is.
04

Summary: Hydrogen Bonding Essential for DNA

In conclusion, hydrogen bonds play a key role in maintaining the structure of DNA due to their unique 'just-right' strength, which allows the DNA strands to split when necessary but stay joined most of the time. Without hydrogen bonds, the structure of DNA as we know it would not exist.

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