Name : Baiq Desy Ratnasari

Student number : 1662254

1. (a) Those positions help the bases from two strands to interact closely. So, instead of forming H-
bond with water, the bases from each strand will interact with each other through H-bond and
base-stacking interaction. When the bases forming a weak bond with each other, water that
previously interacts with the single strand is released. The sugar-phosphate backbone then
brings the water molecule out of the helix. Hence, there is an enthalpy for breaking and forming
the bonds need to pay. Since the reaction is exothermic, the ΔH is negative. Consequently, the
free energy Gibbs is negative (ΔG) which make the reaction thermodynamically stable in water.

The ethanol disrupts the hydrogen bond between the water and the sugar-phosphate on the
DNA surface. Consequently, the H-bonding between the bases also interrupted. Resulting
denaturation that lowering the Tm.

(b) Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) function is as nonspecific workbenches during the synthesis of
proteins during the process of translation.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) carry genetic information from the DNA of the gene to the ribosome,
where translation occurs.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) carries amino acids to the ribosome during translation.
 (c) dna vs rna structure

There are two differences between DNA and RNA structures, namely (1) the 2-hydroxyl group on
the pentose ring of the RNA (2) the type of base, DNA has Thymine while RNA has Uracil.

DNA structure is more stable than that of RNA structure. The 2-hydroxyl group on the pentose ring
of the RNA has the ability to attack the 3’-adjacent phosphate group, resulting in the cleavage of the
RNA.
(d) If the error of the transcription occurs once in every 10.000 ribonucleotides incorporated into
DNA, so for 4026 bases, the error probability is around 0.4.

The error is not so important because many copies of an mRNA are produced from single gene and
all RNAs are eventually degraded and replaced.