Why is the structure of a DNA molecule often described as a zipper?

Answer 1

The nucleic-acid base pairs, or building blocks of DNA, have been isolated in experiments that are the first to keep pace with the rapidly growing theory of DNA's structure, researchers reported in the Dec. 21 issue of 'Nature,' the international science weekly. Chemists from UC Santa Barbara, California, Israel and Germany were able to "see" and thus describe the "teeth" of what they call the "zipper" that forms the double helix of DNA, the basic material of life. The article, "Pairing of Isolated Nucleic-acid bases in the Absence of the DNA Backbone," describes their discovery.

Answer 2

The structure of a zipper has two main features: a toothed track, and a zip. The DNA backbone is akin to the track, and an enzyme is able to unwind the backbone (cf. unzipping a zipper) to allow another enzyme to replicate the DNA.

Answer 3

The shape is a double helix and it has two strands of phosphate and deoxyribose, and the nucleic acids attaching the two strands are in the middle. The phosphate and deoxyribose strand is like the fabric the zipper is on, both holding the middle contents. Two nucleic acids connect in the middle and can be deattached by enzymes, just like the teeth are deattached by the zipper.

Answer 4

Because DNA is double stranded and lock together like a zipper would. Pretty much one side of your zipper is ATCG and the other side that matches it would be TAGC

So a both strands locked would look like this:

Unzipped / Zipped
A ---T .................AT
T ---A .................TA
C --- G..................CG
G --- C..................GC

Hence the comparision to a zipper. Please note that those dots and dashes were simply for formatting.

Answer 5

becasue when DNA replicates it unwindes like an zipper.

Answer 6

its got two edge of a zipper that are attached by hydrogen bonds/ nitrogetn containing bases. it unzips and separates for replication.

Answer 7

Because DNA has two strands of helix (double helix) winding around each other and each strand is antiparallel to each other.

Answer 8

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