Question

What is the compaction ratio for prokaryotic DNA within the bacterial cell?

Options

• Approximately 50–100 times

• Approximately 10–20 times

• Approximately 400–700 times

• Approximately 1000–2000 times

Answer 1

Prokaryotic DNA must be compacted approximately 400–700 times to fit within the bacterial cell. E. coli DNA has a perimeter of 1100 micrometres, while the cell is only 2–3 micrometres in length, necessitating extreme compaction through supercoiling and looping mechanisms.