Emäspariin
Emäspariin refers to a base pair, which is the fundamental structural unit of DNA and RNA. It consists of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. In DNA, the base pairs are adenine (A) with thymine (T), and guanine (G) with cytosine (C). This pairing is specific, meaning A always pairs with T, and G always pairs with C. This complementarity is crucial for DNA replication and transcription. In RNA, uracil (U) replaces thymine (T), so the base pairs are A with U, and G with C. The sequence of these base pairs along a nucleic acid molecule carries the genetic information. The hydrogen bonds holding the bases together are relatively weak individually, but collectively they provide stability to the double helix structure of DNA. The precise pairing of bases ensures that genetic information is accurately copied and passed from one generation to the next.