It is more likely that small cells would use RNA or another flexible molecule to carry genetic information, consistent with the idea that RNA predated DNA in evolution. With a persistence length closer to 10 nm, a long molecule could be balled up in a cell of 100-nm diameter. Self-interactions along the molecule's length, as might be expected for RNA, would reduce the size of the genetic ball even further. Acknowledgment This work is supported in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Boal, D.H., and M. Rao. 1992.
Topology changes in fluid membranes.
Bustamante, C., J.F. Marko, E.D. Siggia, and S. Smith. Doi, M., and S.F. Edwards. 1986. The Theory of Polymer Dynamics . Oxford University Press, p. 316. Evans, E., and W. Rawicz.