In a double stranded DNA molecule, adenine pairs with thymine through
- A. one hydrogen bond
- B. two hydrogen bonds
- C. three hydrogen bonds
- D. a covalent bond
Explanation
Adenine and thymine are held together by two hydrogen bonds, while guanine and cytosine are held by three. That difference is why a DNA region rich in G and C needs a higher temperature to separate the strands, a fact used directly when designing PCR conditions. The covalent bonds in DNA run along each backbone, not across the strands.