Approximately how many nucleotides are in a strand of DNA?

Prepare for the PLTW Biomedical Science Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Approximately how many nucleotides are in a strand of DNA?

Explanation:
DNA length is measured in billions of units, not thousands or millions. In humans, the haploid genome is about 3.2 billion base pairs long, and each base pair corresponds to one nucleotide on each strand. So a single strand contains roughly 3.2 billion nucleotides (the two strands together have about 6.4 billion nucleotides). That places the count firmly in the billions, which is why “over 3 billion” is the best answer.

DNA length is measured in billions of units, not thousands or millions. In humans, the haploid genome is about 3.2 billion base pairs long, and each base pair corresponds to one nucleotide on each strand. So a single strand contains roughly 3.2 billion nucleotides (the two strands together have about 6.4 billion nucleotides). That places the count firmly in the billions, which is why “over 3 billion” is the best answer.

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