Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

34. Nucleic Acids

Base Pairing

Organic Chemistry

34. Nucleic Acids

Base Pairing

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Multiple Choice

What is the importance of complementary base pairing in DNA replication?

It ensures the accurate copying of genetic information.

It facilitates the binding of RNA polymerase during transcription.

It prevents mutations by stabilizing the DNA structure.

It allows DNA strands to separate easily during replication.

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Verified step by step guidance

Complementary base pairing is crucial in DNA replication because it ensures that each new DNA strand is an accurate copy of the original strand. This is achieved through specific pairing between nucleotides: adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G).

During DNA replication, the double helix unwinds, and each strand serves as a template for the formation of a new complementary strand. The enzyme DNA polymerase facilitates the addition of nucleotides to the growing strand by matching them with the complementary bases on the template strand.

The specificity of base pairing (A with T and C with G) is due to hydrogen bonding, which provides stability and fidelity to the DNA structure. This precise pairing minimizes errors during replication, thus preventing mutations.

Complementary base pairing also plays a role in transcription, where RNA polymerase binds to the DNA template strand and synthesizes RNA by matching RNA nucleotides with the DNA bases. This process is guided by the same base pairing rules, except uracil (U) replaces thymine (T) in RNA.

The ability of DNA strands to separate easily during replication is facilitated by the breaking of hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, allowing the replication machinery to access the template strands and synthesize new DNA strands efficiently.