One of the first uses of DNA renaturation (hybridization) was to determine the degree of similarity in DNA between different pairs of species; this technique provides a measure of how closely the species are related evolutionarily. In renaturation studies, the genetic similarity between two samples is measured by determining the:
A)number and locations of bands on an electrophoresis gel.
B)number of restriction sites in each of the samples.
C)temperature at which the two samples form duplexes.
D)rate at which PCR amplifies the two samples.
E)nucleotide sequences of each sample.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In renaturation studies, DNA from two different species is denatured, and then allowed to reanneal (hybridize) at different temperatures. The temperature at which the two samples start to reanneal gives an estimate of the similarity between the two species. If the two species are very similar, they will start to reanneal (form duplexes) at a lower temperature than two species that are less similar. Therefore, the temperature at which the two samples start to reanneal is a measure of the genetic similarity between the two species. The other options listed do not measure genetic similarity in the same way.

One of the First Uses of DNA Renaturation (Hybridization) Was