Question

If the DNA from a single human cell were fully stretched out, what would be its approximate length?

Options

• Approximately 10 micrometres

• Approximately 300 nanometres

• Approximately 1.1–1.36 mm

• Approximately 2.2 metres

Answer 1

The total DNA from a single human cell, if fully stretched out, would measure approximately 2.2 metres in length. This extreme length must be compacted approximately 10⁶-fold to fit within the nucleus, which is only about 1 micrometre in diameter, highlighting the necessity of sophisticated DNA packaging mechanisms.