1.
You have a friend who has written this really nifty computer programme which can analyse DNA sequences for various types of symmetry elements. It takes about 15 minutes to process a 1000 bp sequence, which includes a comparison of the entire sequence against itself. Suppose you are interested in looking for symmetry elements of the common amoeba, Amoeba proteus. How long would it take to run your friend's programme for this small organism?
hint: you can find the SIZE of this genome in the handy
"DOGS" database, on the CBS server.
2. Take a sheet of paper, and fold it in half. Now fold it in half two more times. Pretend that it were possible to continue folding it. If you were to fold it another FIFTY times, how thick would the piece of paper be?
References:
Last modified Wednesday, 15 August, 2001 by David Ussery
Question # 1 is based on a "real-life" example.
Question # 2 is based is taken from Richard Dawkin's "Climbing Mt. Improbable", page 291 (W.W. Norton & Company,l New York, 1997).
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