DNA breaks apart when the _________ bonds between bases break??
DNA breaks apart when the hydrogen bonds between bases break.
To understand why DNA breaks apart when these bonds break, it's important to know a little bit about the structure of DNA. DNA is made up of two strands that twist together in a double helix shape. Each strand is built on a backbone made of alternating sugar and phosphate molecules. The bases, which are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G), are attached to the sugar molecules in each strand.
The two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds between the bases. Specifically, adenine (A) always pairs with thymine (T) through two hydrogen bonds, and cytosine (C) always pairs with guanine (G) through three hydrogen bonds. These base pairs are considered complementary because their structures fit together.
When the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs are broken, the two strands of DNA separate. This process is called DNA denaturation or DNA melting. It can occur naturally during cell processes like DNA replication or transcription, or it can be induced by external factors like high temperature or chemicals.
So, when the hydrogen bonds between the bases break, the two strands of DNA separate, leading to the DNA molecule breaking apart.