Take two pieces of string that are each approximately 10 inches long, and create a double helix by wrapping them around each other to make 10 complete turns. Tape one end of the strings to a table, and then twist the strings three times (360° each time) in a righthanded direction. Note: As you are looking down at the strings from above, a right-handed twist is in the clockwise direction. A. Did the three twists create more or fewer turns in your double helix? How many turns does your double helix have after you twisted it?B. Is your double helix right-handed or left-handed? Explain your answer.C. Did the three twists create any supercoils?D. If you had coated your double helix with rubber cement and allowed the cement to dry before making the three additional right-handed twists, would the rubber cement make it more or less likely that the twists would create supercoiling? Would a pair of cemented strings be more or less like a real DNA double helix than an uncemented pair of strings? Explain your answer.
Take two pieces of string that are each approximately 10 inches long, and create a double helix by wrapping them around each other to make 10 complete turns. Tape one end of the strings to a table, and then twist the strings three times (360° each time) in a righthanded direction. Note: As you are looking down at the strings from above, a right-handed twist is in the clockwise direction.
A. Did the three twists create more or fewer turns in your double helix? How many turns does your double helix have after you twisted it?
B. Is your double helix right-handed or left-handed? Explain your answer.
C. Did the three twists create any supercoils?
D. If you had coated your double helix with rubber cement and allowed the cement to dry before making the three additional right-handed twists, would the rubber cement make it more or less likely that the twists would create supercoiling? Would a pair of cemented strings be more or less like a real DNA double helix than an uncemented pair of strings? Explain your answer.
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