Why must the quality and quantity of DNA in cells remain the same from generation to generation?
Answer Hi Catherine, thanks for visiting me here at AllExperts. The ‘quality and quantity’ needs to remain the same ONLY if the organism’s offspring are going to generally look and function like the parents, and be able to generate more offspring that have the features of the species. Changes in DNA ‘quality’ are mutations; most mutations are deleterious, but every so often one occurs that is beneficial. Changes in DNA quantity are also mutations, but on a much larger scale. The specific number of chromosomes, and the number and order of genes on the chromosomes, are required to maintain the proper operation of cells (and for multi-cellular life, the entire organism). I hope this helped your thinking about DNA!
Related Questions
- Which strand of DNA is packaged when cells carrying the pMAL vectors are superinfected with an M13 helper phage such as M13KO7 (NEB cat #315)?
- What happens if I don follow CEF guidelines, use lower quality product, or use a lesser quantity than approved by CEF?
- What should the starting template DNA quality and quantity be for PCR?
