Consider the table below that contains some of Chargaffs dat

Consider the table below that contains some of Chargaff\'s data. What TWO interpretations can be made from this data? What is its significance in the context of Watson and Crick\'s data?

Solution

Interpretations

1. The amount/number of bases in a DNA varies from one species to another.

2. From the above data Chargaff discovered that regardless of species,

The no. of T=no. of A

T is thymine, A is adenine

No. of G= no. of C

G is guanosine and C is cytidine

The above observation hint that no. of Purine bases= no. of pyrimidine bases.

Significance in the context of Watson and Crick\'s data

The discovery of 1:1 ratio in DNA bases helped Watson and Crick to find how these DNA bases are paired/slotted into the double helix. It also helped them to understand how DNA act as a template to make complementary copies of itself which hinted a complementary lock and key DNA replication mechanism.