Chapter 25, Problem 6PP

Practice Problem 25.6

(a) There are approximately 3 billion base pairs in the DNA of a single human cell. Assuming that this DNA exists as a double helix, calculate the length of all the DNA contained in a human cell.

(b) The weight of DNA in a single human cell is $6\times {10}^{-12}$ g. Assuming that Earth’s population is about 6.5 billion, we can conclude that all of the genetic information that gave rise to all human beings now alive was once contained in the DNA of a corresponding number of fertilized ova. What is the total weight of DNA in this many ova? (The volume that this DNA would occupy is approximately that of a raindrop, yet if the individual molecules were laid end-to-end, they would stretch to the moon and back almost eight times.)