Complementary base pairs

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Complementary base pairing is the phenomenon where in DNA guanine always hydrogen bonds to cystosine and adenine always binds to thymine. 

The bond between guanine and cystosine shares three hydrogen bonds compared to the A-T bond which always shares two hydrogen bonds. 

Function

Complementary base pairing is important in DNA as it allows the base pairs to be arranged in the most energetically favourable way; it is essential in forming the helical structure of DNA.

It is also important in replication as it allows semi conservative replication[1]. 

References

  1. ↑ Albert B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Morgan D, Raff M, Roberts K, Walter P. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 6th Ed, Abingdon: Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 2015.


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