Question

The characteristics of a molecular probe are
(I) Very long molecule
(II) Double stranded
(III) DNA or RNA
(IV) Complementary to a part of desired gene
The correct options are
A) I, II
B) II, III
C) III, IV
D) IV, I

Answer 1

The interactions between the probe and the analyte can be studied if any observable property of the molecular probe changes as it interacts with the analyte (for example, a shift in absorbance). This allows for the indirect analysis of properties of compounds and structures that are difficult to study directly.

Complete answer:
A molecular probe is a set of atoms or molecules used to investigate the properties of other molecules or structures in molecular biology or chemistry. The molecular probe chosen will be determined by the compound or structure being examined, as well as the property of interest.
In terms of pore size determination (gas adsorption) or surface chemistry examination, molecular probes have already been used to classify nanoporous materials (use of polar probe molecules). The molecular probe would be a single-stranded RNA or DNA molecule sequence that is complementary to a specific gene region. They will be radio isotopic in nature, allowing for fast strand monitoring.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: By molecular hybridization, a probe is a tiny fragment of DNA or RNA that is used to spot the presence of a particular sequence in a DNA or RNA sample. Short single-stranded DNA fragments are used as DNA probes, while short single-stranded RNA sequences are used as RNA probes. They're all well-known sequences.