B-DNA

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B-DNA is a specific form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that is most commonly found in living organisms. It is one of the many possible double helical structures which DNA can adopt.

Pronunciation

B-DNA is pronounced as /biː diː en eɪ/.

Etymology

The term "B-DNA" is derived from the researchers who first described it, Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling. They used "A" and "B" to label the different forms of DNA they observed, with "B" referring to the form that is most commonly found in living organisms.

Structure

B-DNA is a right-handed double helix, with about 10.5 base pairs per turn. The double helix is anti-parallel, meaning that the two strands run in opposite directions. The sugar-phosphate backbone is on the outside of the helix, while the nucleotide bases are on the inside, paired through hydrogen bonding.

Related Terms

  • A-DNA: Another form of DNA that is found under dehydrating conditions.
  • Z-DNA: A left-handed form of DNA that is found under high salt conditions or when DNA is actively being transcribed.
  • DNA replication: The process by which DNA makes a copy of itself during cell division.
  • DNA sequencing: The process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule.

See Also

External links

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