DNA Hybridization?

Question

When human DNA is hybridized with both chimpanzee and orangutan DNA, which hybrid DNA would you expect to have the lowest melting temperature?

a. human - chimp
b. human - orangutan
c. chimp - orangutan
d. human DNA
e. They would all be the same.

My guess is B but I am really not sure. Any input would be helpful.

Answer 1

I would also guess B.

Low melting temp meant a low level of hybridization (ie - not much similarity).
And humans and chimps are more closely related than humans and orangutans.

(not sure about C though; I think that chimps and orangutans are about as distantly-related as humans and orangutans)

Answer 2

Hybridization (that's the U.S. spelling -- you spelled it the U.K. way) means cross-breeding two different varieties. For example, hybrid corn (that's maize in the U.K.) is two varieties of corn crossed to develop a better variety. Hybridization is a complicated process, because some hybrids will not reproduce, so the plant has to be generated from the two parent varieties each time. Other hybrids reproduce well and are very strong, which has given rise to the term "hybrid vigor (or vigour)." Hope I helped.

Answer 3

The closer the match, the more nucleotide bonds are formed, and the more bonds there are, the higher the temperature has to be in order to break them. Therefore, greater identity = higher melting temp. Your answer should be the two that are expected to be the least similar, so that they don't have as much in common and they won't need as much energy to bust apart.