Te average human chromosome contains about 1 × 108 bp of DNA.
(a) If each base pair has a mass of about 660 daltons and there are about 2 g of protein (histones plus nonhistones) per gram of DNA, how much does such a chromosome weigh (in grams)?
(b) If the DNA were extended, how long would it be?
(c) An actual chromosome is about 5 mm long. What is the approximate compaction ratio?
(d) You have about 4 × 1012 cells in your body. If you have 46 chromosomes in each cell, what is the approximate extended length of your entire DNA? For comparison, the distance from the earth to the sun is about 1.5 × 108 km.