What term describes two complementary strands of nucleotides that coil around each other?

What term describes two complementary strands of nucleotides that coil around each other?

• A. Helix
• B. Triple helix
• C. Single strand
• D. Double helix

Answer: (D)

DNA is made up of two complementary strands of nucleotides that coil around each other, forming a double helix. The two strands wind together with the sugar-phosphate backbone on the outside and the bases pairing inward (A with T, C with G) through hydrogen bonds, which helps keep the molecule stable yet able to separate for replication. The strands run in opposite directions, an arrangement called anti-parallel, which is essential for copying genetic information accurately. The term that describes this structure of two strands twisted together is double helix. A single helix could refer to a single strand, and a triple helix would require a third strand, while a single strand is not paired with another.

DNA is made up of two complementary strands of nucleotides that coil around each other, forming a double helix. The two strands wind together with the sugar-phosphate backbone on the outside and the bases pairing inward (A with T, C with G) through hydrogen bonds, which helps keep the molecule stable yet able to separate for replication. The strands run in opposite directions, an arrangement called anti-parallel, which is essential for copying genetic information accurately. The term that describes this structure of two strands twisted together is double helix. A single helix could refer to a single strand, and a triple helix would require a third strand, while a single strand is not paired with another.