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What is the largest organic molecule?

Answer 1

Vivian Aronson

The largest organic molecule is probably DNA.

DNA is typically measured in the number of base pairs it contains.

For example the human nuclear genome consists of about #3.2×10^9# base pairs (bp) spread over 24 chromosomes.

The length of the chromosomes ranges from #50 ×10^6# to #260 × 10^6# bp, with an average of about #130 ×10^6# bp.

On average, a base pair is about 340 pm long and has a mass of about 650 u.

So, for the longest human chromosome, the length of the DNA molecule is

#"length" = 260×10^6 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("bp"))) × (340× 10^-12 "m")/(1 color(red)(cancel(color(black)("bp")))) = "0.08 m" = "8 cm"#

The genome of Paris japonica has more than 150 billion base pairs contained in 40 chromosomes.

That's about one-fourth the mass of all humans alive!

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Answer 2

Victoria Angeli

DNA.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.