Assertion (A) : UV spectrophotometry is commonly used to estimate nucleic acids.
Reason (R) : Nucleic acids absorb UV light maximally at 280 nm.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Assertion (A) states that UV spectrophotometry is commonly used to estimate nucleic acids. This is correct because nucleic acids, like DNA and RNA, contain aromatic bases that absorb ultraviolet light.
Reason (R) claims that nucleic acids absorb UV light maximally at 280 nm. This statement is incorrect. While UV spectrophotometry is used, the characteristic maximal absorbance wavelength for nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) is approximately 260 nm. The 280 nm wavelength is typically associated with the absorbance of proteins, specifically aromatic amino acids like tyrosine and tryptophan.
Based on the analysis:
Therefore, the correct choice is that (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.