if a fruit fly has 28.8% Adenine, approximately how much guanine will it have?
can someone explain this
To determine the approximate amount of guanine in a fruit fly, we need to understand the composition of DNA and the relationship between adenine and guanine. Adenine (A) and guanine (G) are two of the four nitrogenous bases that make up DNA, forming the base pairs responsible for genetic information.
In DNA, adenine always pairs with thymine (T), and guanine always pairs with cytosine (C). These base pairs are connected by hydrogen bonds. The DNA molecule consists of a double helix structure, with adenine-guanine and thymine-cytosine base pairs forming its backbone.
The key relationship that helps us determine the approximate amount of guanine based on the given adenine percentage is that the total amount of adenine should be equal to the total amount of thymine, and the total amount of guanine should be equal to the total amount of cytosine. These percentages sum up to 100% of the DNA composition.
Now, let's approach the problem using this information:
Since adenine represents 28.8% of the DNA composition, we know that thymine also represents 28.8%. Therefore, the combined total of adenine and thymine is 57.6% (28.8% + 28.8%).
To find the approximate amount of guanine, we subtract 57.6% from 100% since the remaining percentage represents guanine and cytosine together.
100% - 57.6% = 42.4%
Based on this calculation, the fruit fly would have approximately 42.4% guanine.