Question

2. Draw the following structures and rate their relative solubilities in water (most soluble to least soluble): deoxyribose, guanine, phosphate. How are these solubilities consistent with the three-dimensional structure of double-stranded DNA?

Answer 1

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Phosphate is negatively charged and most soluble; deoxyribose have several hydroxyl groups, is quite water soluble while guanine is a hydrophobic base, so least soluble. The polar phosphate groups and sugars are on the outside, exposed to water while hydrophobic bases are located in the interior away from water.