Question: Which form of DNA has a left-handed coil?
Options:
A-DNA
B-DNA
C-DNA
Z-DNA
-While A-DNA, B-DNA, and C-DNA all exist, only Z-DNA exhibits a left-handed helical structure.
✏️A-DNA:
-Right-handed double helix.
-Found in dehydrated conditions or specific sequences.
-More compact than B-DNA.
-Less common in biological context.
✏️B-DNA:
-Right-handed double helix.
-Most common form of DNA in living organisms.
-Considered the "standard" DNA structure.
✏️C-DNA:
-Single-stranded DNA.
-Not part of the canonical double helix forms.
-Involved in DNA repair and recombination.
✏️Z-DNA:
-Left-handed double helix.
-Occurs in specific DNA sequences rich in alternating purines and pyrimidines (CpG repeats).
-Can influence gene expression and regulation.
-Less common than B-DNA, but plays important roles in DNA function.
🔴 Related Terminology:
-Dehydration: Removal of water molecules.
-Specific sequences: Particular arrangements of nucleotides in DNA.
-Compactness: Refers to the density of packing within the helix.
-Biological context: The environment and interactions of DNA within living cells.
-Purines and pyrimidines: The two types of nitrogenous bases that make up DNA.
-Gene expression and regulation: Processes controlling how genes are used to produce proteins.