Final answer:
Lethal damage to nucleic acids can be caused by heat, radiation, and certain chemicals. These agents can induce mutations, disrupt DNA structure, and overwhelm the cell's repair mechanisms, leading to cell death.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lethal damage to nucleic acids can arise from various sources. Heat, radiation, and certain chemicals are all capable of causing significant damage to DNA and RNA, which can result in cell death. These agents can cause mutations, breaks in DNA strands, and changes in the structure of nucleic acids, making them unable to carry out their essential functions.
Heat can lead to hydrolysis or thermal disruption of DNA. Radiation, particularly ionizing radiation, can break chemical bonds or ionize molecules leading to DNA damage that includes single- and double-stranded breaks as well as base modifications. This form of damage is quite profound, as it can affect different cellular components, including DNA, proteins, and other molecules. In medicine, it is harnessed to sterilize medical equipment and foods due to its nonspecific and extensive destructive effects on microorganisms.
Certain chemicals pose a threat to DNA as well. Some chemicals act as intercalating agents, which slide between the stacked bases of the DNA double helix and can lead to mutations. These mutations are caused by base analogs or by the modification of existing bases, and they may persist even after several rounds of DNA replication if left unrepaired. While some of the damage can be repaired by cellular mechanisms, excessive exposure to these potentially dangerous agents can overwhelm the cell's repair capabilities, resulting in lethal outcomes.
The correct answer to the question would therefore be E) heat, radiation, and some chemicals all can result in lethal damage to nucleic acids.