DNA in water. Would you expect the double helix in a short segment of DNA to be more stable in 100 sodium phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 or in pure water? Why?

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Chemistry

Kingston Knapp

2 December, 00:54

DNA in water. Would you expect the double helix in a short segment of DNA to be more stable in 100 sodium phosphate buffer at pH 7.0 or in pure water? Why?

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Answers (1)

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Melanie Dorsey · Answer 1

DNA is composed of large amount of amino acids and have a lot of amide groups.

Therefore, in the acidic or in basic medium, the DNA molecules is either dissociated or dis stabilized via protonation or de protonation.

The double helix structure of the DNA may break or get dis ordered.

But, from the question, In sodium phosphate buffer at pH = 7.0, is the neutral condition, hence, the DNA remains unchanged, because of the neutral medium.

And in pure water,

The DNA molecule remains intact as, in pure water, there are no ions.