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.

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