The pitch of the DNA helix, or the distance between its complete turns, is 3.4 angstroms (Å) because of the specific arrangement of its nucleotides. The DNA helix is made up of two complementary strands of nucleotides, and each nucleotide consists of a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
In a DNA molecule, the two complementary strands are held together by hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases of the nucleotides. The distance between the nitrogenous bases determines the pitch of the helix. In the case of DNA, the nitrogenous bases are adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The distance between the nitrogenous bases of A-T and C-G base pairs is 3.4 Å.
As for why there are exactly 10 pairs of nucleotides in the DNA helix, this is a generalization and not a strict rule. The number of nucleotide base pairs in a DNA molecule can vary widely, depending on the species and the type of cell. For example, the human genome has approximately 3 billion base pairs, while the genome of a bacterium may have only a few million base pairs. The number of base pairs in a DNA helix can also vary within a single chromosome or even within a single gene.
In summary, the pitch of the DNA helix is determined by the distance between its nitrogenous bases, and the number of nucleotide base pairs can vary widely depending on the species and type of cell.
bp/turn of DNADNA have this periodicity in which each base is separated from the other by 36 degree angle so for the base to take a comlete round ( 360 degree ) it will take about 10 bases to do so.To clarify the answer...the residues in the double helix are 3.6 Angstroms apart by a rise of 1.5 Angstroms...if you want to calculate the pitch then you multiply these values and you will get 5.4 Angstroms...this is the pitch of the DNA double helix.
The slope is the pitch divided by the developed circumference of the helix which is pi x diameter. Pitch = pi x diamter x slope
The pitch of a helix is defined as the distance along the helical axis that results in one full turn of the helix. In the case of amino acid helices, this value is an average value of about 5.5 Angstroms. A-DNA B-DNA Z-DNA Right-handed helix Right-handed Left-handed Short and broad Long and thin Longer and thinner Helix Diameter 25.5A 23.7A 18.4A Rise / base-pair 2.3A 3.4A 3.8A Base-pair / helical turn ~ 11 ~ 10 ~ 12 Helix pitch 25A 34A 47A Tilt of the bases 20 deg -1 deg -9 deg Also see http://tigger.uic.edu/classes/phys/phys461/phys450/ANJUM04/
The ideal B-DNA helix has ten base pairs per turn due to its specific structural configuration, which optimizes hydrogen bonding and base stacking interactions. This arrangement allows for a uniform diameter and helical twist, minimizing torsional strain while maximizing stability. The ten base pairs per turn also contribute to the overall helical pitch, facilitating the compact storage of genetic information in a cellular environment.
The moment of inertia of a helix (coil) can be calculated using the formula for a thin rod rotated about its end axis. The moment of inertia of a helix will depend on its radius, pitch, and total length. It involves integration to account for the helical shape.
Can be calculated from various bits of information.
DNA is a linear polymer of nucleotides whose phosphates bridge the 3' and 5' positions of succesive 2-deoxy-D-ribose residues, and nitrogenous bases such as purines and pyrimidines. In detail, DNA is a) a helical molecule, and b) its planar aromatic bases form a stack of parallel rings that is parallel to the fiber axis. There are several configurations of the DNA molecule. The A, B, and C forms of DNA are right-handed, double-stranded helices which, in fibrous form, are stable at intermediate, high, and low relative humidities, respectively, and have 11, 10, and 9.3 base pairs per turn of double helix. The left-handed helix of B-DNA structure is refered as Z-DNA (it contains 12 bases pairs per turn of double helix, and has only a single groove. B-DNA (the so-called Watson-Crick structure) is regarded as the native form because its X-ray pattern resembles that of the DNA in intact sperm heads, and is a double helix with around 20 angstroms diameter. The planes of the bases are nearly perpendicular to the helix axis and conserve the so-called "complementary base pairing" (that is, adenine base always is in front of a guanine base, as well as thymine is always in front of a cytosine. The "ideal" B-DNA helix has 10 base pairs (bp ) per turn (a helical twist of 36o per bp) and, the aromatic bases have van der Waals thicknesses of 3.4 angstroms and are partially stacked on each other (known as base stacking). Finally, the helix has a pitch (rise per turn) of 34 angstroms.
pitch
the pitch of a alpha helix is o.54 nm , that is the distance between two points at the same horizontal position in a helix if is held up right. there are 3.6 aa per turn. therefore if there are 78 aa then Lengthhelix= (78 /3.6)* 0.54 nm
The pitch of DNA, or the distance between each twist of the double helix, plays a crucial role in genetic replication. It determines how easily the DNA strands can separate and be copied by enzymes during replication. A proper pitch ensures accurate replication, while any changes in pitch can lead to errors in the genetic code.
i mean how to tune exactly the pitch and decay?
Previous answer: "No because the line is not straight and the points of the slop is in different ares." The above is ambiguous. You need to define the term slope. The slope of a helix (or any curve) is normally defined as the slope of a line that is tangent to the helix (curve). And then you need to define, slope with respect to what? Normally that would be slope with respect to a horizontal plane. That slope, by definition, is constant for a helix with a vertical axis. The value of the slope of such a helix is pitch / (2*pi*R), where R is the radius from the axis. Then you have to consider where on the staircase you are. A staircase is not a single helix. It has width, or different radii. If you are walking up stairs at a constant radius R from the axis (on a helix), then the slope is constant. In any case, the average slope of the stairs varies with the radius R on which you are walking, so that would not be a constant.