Chargaff's Base Pair Rule for DNA

Introduction to Chargaff's Base Pair Rule Calculator

Chargaff's rules state that DNA from any cell of any organisms should have a 1:1 ratio (base pair rule) of pyrimidine and purine bases and, more specifically, that the amount of guanine is equal to cytosine and the amount of adenine is equal to thymine. This formula calculates the corresponding amounts of thymine and guanine given the quantities of adenine and cytosine.

Parameter usage:

• adenine = amount of adenine
• cytosine = amount of cytosine

Example valid values:

• adenine = 20
• cytosine = 20

Output:

• thymine = corresponding amount of thymine
• guanine = corresponding amount of guanine

Data validation

The numbers for adenine and cytosine should be non-negative. They reflect the number of base pairs and thus cannot be negative.

Summary

This calculator is used to understand the fundamental base pairing principle that drives the structure of DNA.