As all good things on Reddit are, this is a little bit misleading.
What we’re seeing here is six strands of DNA coiled around a seventh in what the scientists called a “cord.” The electrons used in this imaging method would destroy a single strand of DNA, so this is the smallest “unit” of DNA we could capture at the time this picture was taken (2012).
So, the grooves and ridges aren’t part of a single double helix; they’re individual strands of DNA that are wrapped around the one at the center of the cord
perrisvk on November 23rd, 2019 at 14:18 UTC »
If you move closer to the display, the image will be larger
unobservedcitizen on November 23rd, 2019 at 16:11 UTC »
That one is from 2012, this one is from 2015. Source with downloadable high res image.
Also of interest.
15ItemsOrLess on November 23rd, 2019 at 16:18 UTC »
As all good things on Reddit are, this is a little bit misleading.
What we’re seeing here is six strands of DNA coiled around a seventh in what the scientists called a “cord.” The electrons used in this imaging method would destroy a single strand of DNA, so this is the smallest “unit” of DNA we could capture at the time this picture was taken (2012).
So, the grooves and ridges aren’t part of a single double helix; they’re individual strands of DNA that are wrapped around the one at the center of the cord