Question

Which structural feature of DNA makes it resistant to alkaline hydrolysis?

Options

• The absence of the reactive 2′-OH group in deoxyribose

• The presence of thymine instead of uracil

• The double-stranded nature of DNA

• The presence of histone proteins around DNA

Answer 1

The absence of the reactive 2′-OH group in the deoxyribose sugar of DNA makes it resistant to alkaline hydrolysis. In contrast, RNA contains ribose with a 2′-OH group that makes RNA susceptible to hydrolysis under alkaline conditions.