Answer :
Final answer:
For a minimal organism with the same gene size as Escherichia coli but fewer genes, fewer base pairs would be required than the 5,175,720 base pairs present in E. coli. Therefore correct option is C
Explanation:
The student has asked how many base pairs would be required to form the genome of a minimal organism if the genes are the same size as Escherichia coli genes. Given that E. coli has a genome containing 4,377 genes and 5,175,720 base pairs, if a minimal organism has fewer genes but the same gene size, it would require fewer base pairs than E. coli to form its genome. Therefore, the correct answer is c. Less than 4377 genes and 5175720 base pairs, as a reduction in the number of genes would proportionally decrease the number of required base pairs.
