If you have a strand of DNA in which 20% of the bases are adenine, what percentage of guanine do you have?

1 Answer
Jan 15, 2018

The perecentage of guanine is 30%

Explanation:

According to the Chargaff's rules the DNA from any cell of all organisms should have a 1:1 ratio (base Pair Rule) of purine bases [for the DNA cytosine, thymine and for the RNA uracil] and pyrimidine bases [guanine and adenine for RNA and DNA]. The amount of guanine should be equaled to cytosine and the amount of adenine should be equaled to thymine. You can follow this rule in both strands of the DNA.
![https://img.purch.com/w/640/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA1My81ODcvaTAyL2RuYS1ybmEtc3RydWN0dXJlLmpwZz8xMzcwNTQ5MjI1](https://useruploads.socratic.org/Lawbr6TYZuHxReMPY8QY_aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA1My81ODcvaTAyL2RuYS1ybmEtc3RydWN0dXJlLmpwZz8xMzcwNTQ5MjI1.webp)
![https://www.google.hr/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiJnaitx9nYAhUJmbQKHbrRAOsQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fib.bioninja.com.au%2Fstandard-level%2Ftopic-2-molecular-biology%2F26-structure-of-dna-and-rna%2Fdnahttp://-structure.html&psig=AOvVaw3PHl4Y0GlgzkPh2hYue1B2&ust=1516089616285021](https://useruploads.socratic.org/y9gz8j4PSK2wCnbgtyiW_double-stranded-dna_med.jpeg)

As you can see above [look at the colors and the bases of the DNA] the purines always pair with the pyrimidines. Cytosine pairs with guanine and adenine pairs with thymine.
Following this you can solve your DNA percantage problem. I suggest you to draw the bases of the DNA chain to visualise the task. Here below you can see how I didi it.
enter image source here

Let`s get to the point!
You have 20% of adenine. If you have 20% of adenine than you have 20% of thymine, because the amount of adenine and thymine is equal. 20% plus 20% is 40% of adennine and thymine. From 100% DNA bases subtract 40% and you will get 60%. Then divide this by 2 and you will get 30%. 30% of guanine and 30% of cytosine, because their amounts are equal in the DNA stand.