Question

In the DNA molecule 

(a) the total amount of purine nucleotides and pyrimidine nucleotides is not always equal.

(b) there are two strands which run parallel in the 5'  →  3'direction.

(c) the proportion of adenine in relation to thymine varies with  the organism.

(d) there are two strands which run antiparallel one in 5'   →  3'direction and other in 3' →  5'.

Answer 1

Correct option (d) there are two strands which run antiparallel one in 5' → 3'direction and other in 3'  → 5'.

Explanation :

In DNA molecule the adjacent deoxyribonucleotides are joined in a chain by phosphodiester bridges or bonds, which link the 5' carbon of deoxyribose of one mononucleotide unit with 3' carbon of deoxyribose of next mononucleotide unite.

According to Watson and Crick DNA molecule consists of two such polynucleotide chains wrapped helically around each other,  with the sugar-phosphate chain on the outside and purine and pyrimidine on the inside of helix. The two strands run antiparallel, i.e. one strand has phosphodiester linkage in 3' → 5' direction while other strange has phosphodiester linkage in 5' → 3' direction.

Chargaff (1950) suggested that despite wide compositional variations exhibited by different types of DNA the total amount of purines equalled the total amount of pyrimidines  (A  + G = T + C).