What is the term for the pairing of complementary bases in DNA?

What is the term for the pairing of complementary bases in DNA?

• A. Helicase
• B. Replication
• C. Nucleoside linkage
• D. Base pairing

Answer: (D)

Base pairing describes the pairing of complementary bases in DNA. Adenine pairs with thymine via two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine pairs with guanine via three hydrogen bonds, holding the two strands together as the double helix. This specific pairing arises from matching shapes and hydrogen-bonding patterns, which also lets each strand serve as a precise template for copying the other during replication. Chargaff’s rules reflect this specificity, showing roughly equal amounts of A and T and of C and G in a DNA sample. Other terms refer to different aspects: helicase unwinds the helix, replication is the overall copying process, and nucleoside linkage relates to bonds within nucleotides or the phosphodiester bonds between them. Knowing base pairing explains how genetic information is accurately stored and transmitted.

Base pairing describes the pairing of complementary bases in DNA. Adenine pairs with thymine via two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine pairs with guanine via three hydrogen bonds, holding the two strands together as the double helix. This specific pairing arises from matching shapes and hydrogen-bonding patterns, which also lets each strand serve as a precise template for copying the other during replication. Chargaff’s rules reflect this specificity, showing roughly equal amounts of A and T and of C and G in a DNA sample. Other terms refer to different aspects: helicase unwinds the helix, replication is the overall copying process, and nucleoside linkage relates to bonds within nucleotides or the phosphodiester bonds between them. Knowing base pairing explains how genetic information is accurately stored and transmitted.