The Gospel of DNA Research States that the All-Familiar Double-Helix is Made up of Two Base Pairs GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading passage question

The gospel of DNA research states that the all-familiar double-helix is made up of two base pairs; adenine and thymine, and cytosine and guanine. These base pairs, known as the Watson-Crick pairs, have been effectively duplicated for 3.5 billion years, and are the only base pairs for all living organisms. But for the first time in living history, a third pair is being replicated by DNA polymerase enzymes.

This unnatural pair comes not through evolution or unintended mutation, but rather through the manipulation of scientists. Dr. Floyd Romesberg in California has caused 3-fluorobenzene (3FB) to pair with itself, to form a 3FB-3FB pair alongside the natural two. To infuse an unnatural pair is no new development; rather, the innovation is that they are replicated, albeit imperfectly. While the natural pairs develop a mistake once in 10 million pairs, these unnatural pairs develop a mistake once in one thousand. While it is unlikely that the base pair can be improved upon, Dr. Romesberg believes that the replication process can be made nearly as consistent as with natural pairs. Organisms with three base pairs would be new life, able to create new amino acids and new proteins. These developments could then have radical applications in the fields of medicine and technology.

“The gospel of DNA research states that the all-familiar double-helix is made up of two base pairs; adenine and thymine, and cytosine and guanine” is a study regarding medical science and also a very important topic for the GMAT examination. This topic consists of three different questions and basically solving this GMAT Reading Comprehension will help students understand the pattern of questions on GMAT exams.

Solutions and explanations

1. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument of some scientists that unnatural pair replication can be improved?

A) It is unlikely that any other elements of the DNA base pair replication process can be improved upon in order to create a higher success rate for replication.
B) Scientists have in the past been able to alter enzymes other than polymerase.
C) Scientists have shown promising research in developing and altering polymerase enzymes, and improving their capabilities.
D) The mistakes made in every thousand unnatural pairs are not significant and would not inhibit the development of new living organisms.
E) Dr. Romesberg's research has been well funded throughout the last decade.

2. The statements in the passage most strongly support which of the following inferences?

A) Dr. Romesberg is the only scientist to develop an unnatural pair.
B) Other laboratories in the U.S. have created unnatural pairs.
C) Dr. Romesberg is not the only scientist to create a replicable unnatural pair.
D) Unnatural pairs have been infused other than those infused by Dr. Romesberg.
E) Combining the two 3-fluorobenzene molecules was the chief obstacle to Dr. Romesberg's research.

3. According to the passage, which of the following is true about base pairs?

A) Unnatural pairs have greater potential to produce medicinal breakthroughs than do natural pairs.
B) Natural pairs are 1000 times more likely to develop a mistake as an unnatural pair.
C) The 3FB-3FB pair is far more unstable than the adenine-thymine pair.
D) 3FB can only bond with itself to form an unnatural pair.
E) The adenine-thymine pair is common to all living organisms.

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