What does reverse polarity in a DNA molecule mean?

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 13K views
sameeralord
Messages
659
Reaction score
3
dnachain2.gif


Ok I can see the 5 end is negative, is the 3 end positive due to OH. So in other strand this goes other way round. Is this what they mean when they say there is reverse polarity in a DNA molecule. Thanks!
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Yes. If you think of each strand of DNA as an arrow pointing from the 5' end to the 3' end, when the two strands of DNA pair together, the arrows would be pointing in opposite directions as opposed to the same direction.