What properties must a substance possess in order to serve as the genetic material? Select all that apply.A) It must consist of many different types of subunits in order to code for the large variety of characteristics of a living organism.B) It must be able to store information that pertains to the development,structure, and metabolic activities of the cell or organism.C) It must be stable, so that it can be replicated with high accuracy during cell division and be transmitted from generation to generation.D) It must be able to catalyze chemical reactions at very high speeds in order to direct the metabolic activities of the cell.E) It must be able to undergo rare changes, called mutations, that provide the genetic variability required for evolution to occur.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

B, C, E

In order to serve as the genetic material of a cell, the substance must be able to store information that pertains to the development, structure, and metabolic activities of the cell or organism. It must also be stable, so that it can be replicated with high accuracy during cell division and be transmitted from generation to generation. Finally, the substance must be able to undergo rare changes, called mutations, that provide the genetic variability required for evolution to occur.