Nucleic Acid Hybridization

Nucleic acid hybridization refers to a series of techniques based on the knowledge that double-stranded moleucels can be made because of complementary base pairing of nucleotides. While the process is complicated, nucleic acid hybridization is a useful tool to find a specific sequences of DNA among a soup of fragments formed by cutting up DNA with restriction enzymes. If you add a known nucleic acid complememt for a specific gene, you will be able to find it and remove it for further study.

Nucleic acid hybridization has also been used to study relationships among organisms. The more similar two organisms are, the greater the number of complementary bases that will form when a mixture of DNA is heated and then allowed to cool. The less two organims are related, the less they will have in common.

To break two exact complementary strands of DNA apart, you can heat the molecule to about 92 ^oC. When you form a DNA hybrid from two closely related organisms, the more bonds that will form and the higher the temperature will need to be to separate the two strands of the hybrid. The less two organisms are related, fewer bonds will form, and the less heat it will take to separate the strands of the hybrid. Based on this method, it will take more heat to break apart a hybrid made up of human and bonobo ape DNA. On the other hand, it will take less heat to break apart a hybrid made up of human and horse DNA.