hvfuente
The diploid genome in a human somatic cell consists of approximately 6 billion base pairs.
(a) If you connected all the chromosomes end-to-end, how long is the DNA in each cell based on the crystallographic dimensions of the DNA double helix? How much does it weigh?
(b) If you condensed the entire DNA in a human somatic cell into a sphere, what would the diameter of that sphere be? (Hint: find the volume of the cylindrical DNA string in (a) first).
(c) There are approximately ten trillion cells in the human body. What is the total weight of the DNA in your body? If you connected all the DNA in your body into one long string, how many times would it reach to the sun and back?
(d) There are about 7 billion humans living on earth. If you connected all their DNA together, how many light years long would that string be? How does that compare to the size of our galaxy, the milky way?
(a) If you connected all the chromosomes end-to-end, how long is the DNA in each cell based on the crystallographic dimensions of the DNA double helix? How much does it weigh?
(b) If you condensed the entire DNA in a human somatic cell into a sphere, what would the diameter of that sphere be? (Hint: find the volume of the cylindrical DNA string in (a) first).
(c) There are approximately ten trillion cells in the human body. What is the total weight of the DNA in your body? If you connected all the DNA in your body into one long string, how many times would it reach to the sun and back?
(d) There are about 7 billion humans living on earth. If you connected all their DNA together, how many light years long would that string be? How does that compare to the size of our galaxy, the milky way?