How Long Can DNA Last

DNA or  Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule containing all the information required for an organism to be born, sustained and reproduced. We are literally a product of our parents DNA. It consists of base pairs which hold the data required to regenerate a similar organism. This molecule is also used in forensics to identify individuals. The DNA is a long lasting molecule that is tough to destroy.

Just how long can DNA last? A study conducted on the leg bones of the extinct moa birds in New Zealand found the half life of DNA to be 521 years. Half life refers to the time needed for a substance to lose a specific property by half. In this case it was established that in about a 1000 years a strand of DNA will lose 75% of the genetic information coded into it’s base pairs.

Bacterial RNA or Ribonucleic acid is much tougher than human DNA. RNA extracted from ice crystals more than 419 million years old are found to be almost complete. Of course the RNA consists of only short fragments of 55 base pairs to start with. This science project explains how bacteria continues to survive and grow even after being dormant in extremely hostile environment.