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Q.Describe the double-stranded DNA structure proposed by Watson and Crick. OR Describe the Fluid-Mosaic model of the plasma membrane.

Madhya Pradesh MpbseMP Board Higher Secondary (Class 11) 2020Subjective· 4mImportance★★★★★
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DNA is a right-handed double helix of two antiparallel strands held together by complementary, hydrogen-bonded base pairing (A-T, G-C).

Watson and Crick (1953), building on Chargaff's rules and Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction data, proposed the following structure for DNA:

  1. DNA consists of two polynucleotide chains coiled around a common axis in a right-handed double helix.
  2. The two strands are antiparallel — one runs 5' to 3' and the other 3' to 5'.
  3. The sugar-phosphate backbones lie on the outside of the helix, while the nitrogenous bases project inward, paired between the two strands.
  4. Base pairing is complementary and specific: Adenine (A) always pairs with Thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds, and Guanine (G) always pairs with Cytosine (C) via three hydrogen bonds. This means the two strands are complementary to each other.
  5. The two chains are coiled plectonemically (wound around each other), so they cannot be separated without unwinding. …

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