Why Is DNA Considered Large Compared to a Hydrogen Atom?

[Darkfox]

How large is the smallest piece of DNA compared to a hydrogen atom? What chemical elements go into the average strand of DNA? If the human body is mostly H2O, then why are we considered "carbon-based" lifeforms?

 

[jim mcnamara]

1. DNA is not "one size" - it is an enormously long chain made of small building blocks: adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine. Even small strands of DNA are millions of time larger than a single atom.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleobase

2. See the URL above: Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen

3. All of what we are depends on carbon chemistry, water is the medium for the reactions. Sometimes water is bound up into the chemicals created or is released as a product of the reaction.

 

[ravenprp]

The size of DNA can vary, but the smallest piece of DNA is approximately 3.4 nanometers long, which is about 30,000 times larger than a hydrogen atom. This is because DNA is made up of a long chain of nucleotides, which are much larger molecules than individual atoms.

The chemical elements that make up the average strand of DNA are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. These elements are the building blocks of nucleotides, which make up the backbone of the DNA molecule. Additionally, there are four nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) that make up the genetic code of DNA.

Although the human body is mostly composed of water, it is considered a "carbon-based" lifeform because carbon is the primary element present in all living organisms. Carbon has the unique ability to form long chains and complex structures, making it essential for the formation of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids like DNA. While water is crucial for many biological processes, it is the carbon-based molecules that make up the majority of our bodies and give us the ability to carry out life-sustaining functions.