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How Can a DNA molecule decrease in size when folded?
If you take a piece of paper or anything, and fold it or bend it, it becomes thicker. However, if you unravel a DNA molecule it is 3 feet in length. When it is folded in the nucleus it is 1 millionth of an inch. How can that happen?
3 Answers
- gabegm1Lv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
DNA isn't folded but wound up in a spiral(technically a double helix), it doesn't decrease in size, but in length.
if you take a piece of thread and wind it all around your finger and compare it's length when it's all streched out, then you'll know what i mean.
God bless,
gabe
- kzLv 41 decade ago
it doesn't decrease in size; it decreases in length. a human cell would have over a meter of DNA if it was stretched out, but if u keep folding it, it becomes thicker yes, but not as long, and so it can fit inside a cell.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
theoretically if paper was strong enough you could fold it so tight that it does not gain any thickness and that is the same way dna works
