Q. 17.120 - An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry

Question

Why are there no base pairs in DNA between adenine and guanine or thymine and cytosine? $(17.3)$

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Two purines and two pyrimidines combined would just take up too much room in the region between the two strands.

Step 1:Given information

We have to find out the why are there no base pairs in DNA between adenine and guanine or thymine and cytosine.

Step 2:Explanation

Two purines and two pyrimidines would take up far too much room to fit between the two strands. Only adenine and thymine, as well as cytosine and guanine, may form hydrogen bonds in that region.