DNA & RNA
DNA Facts
Chromosomes are made of DNA
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Molecule that stores genetic information in cells
Copies itself exactly for new cells
DNA-Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DNA is often called the
blueprint of life.
In simple terms, DNA
contains the instructions for
making proteins within the
cell.
The Vocabulary of DNA
Genetics—The study of
genes & heredity
Trait-- inherited
characteristic determined
by the presence and
expression of
dominant and/or
recessive alleles.
Gene-- a segment of DNA
that codes for a protein,
which in turn codes for a
trait (skin tone, eye color,
etc.)
Proteins
Responsible for all cell
structures and functions
Made of long chains of
amino acids
There are 20 amino acids in
the body
Proteins are responsible
for:
Hair, skin, hormones,
muscle movement,
antibodies, chemical
reactions, oxygenation of
cells.
Rosalind Franklin and Maurice
Wilkins took DNA X-ray photos that
were essential to the discovery of the
double helix of DNA by James
Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.
When Watson, Crick
and Wilkins got their
Nobel prize awards in
1962, Rosalind
Franklin was cheated
of deserved
recognition in part by
her early death from
cancer in 1958.
Why is the Study of DNA Important?
It’s essential to all life on earth
Medical Benefits—disease detection,
treatment, prevention
Development of Crops
Forensics
DNA Structure
DNA is a polymer (composed of
repeating subunits called
nucleotides)
2 long strands
Each a chain of nucleotides
Nucleotides
Consists of…
Phosphate
Carbon sugar (deoxyribose)
Nitrogen base
Adenine and Guanine are PURINES
Adenine and guanine each have two
rings of carbon and nitrogen atoms.
N O
N C N C
C C N C C
N N
N C N C
C
Adenine N C Guanine N
Thymine and Cytosine are PYRIDAMINES
Thymine and cytosine each have one
ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms.
O N
N N C
C
O C C
O C C C
N C
N C
thymine cytosine
Types of Nitrogenous Bases
A = adenine
T = thymine
C = cytosine
G = guanine
Base Pair Rule
Adenine can bond
only with Thymine
A-T or T-A (2 H
bonds)
Cytosine can bond
only with Guanine
C-G or G-C (3 H
bonds)
This is called the
BASE PAIR RULE
DNA Strand
Each nucleotide bonds
to the next one to form
a strand.
The two strands twist
around a central axis to
form a double helix.
Sides of the ladder
alternate phosphate and
sugar (deoxyribose)
Rungs are held together
by Hydrogen bonds
Nitrogenous Bases
Those 4 bases
(ATCG) have
endless
combinations
Just like the
letters of the
alphabet can
combine to make
an infinite number
of words.
The two strands
are said to be
Replication
The process by which DNA
makes a copy of itself
Why does DNA need to
copy?
Cells divide for an organism to
grow or reproduce
Every new cell needs a copy of
DNA
In DNA replication enzymes
work to unwind and
separate the double helix
and add complimentary
nucleotides to the exposed
strands
Replication
DNA replication is semi-conservative.
When it makes a copy, one half of the
old strand is ALWAYS kept in the new
strand
This helps reduce the number of copy
errors.
DNA Replication
DNA helicases—
break H-bonds
linking bases
DNA
polymerases—
move along each
of the strands,
adding
nucleotides,
according to
base pairing
rules.
DNA Replication
The result is two
exact copies of the
original DNA
Each new double
helix is composed
of one original DNA
strand and one
new strand.
Semi-conservative
Translation
DNA is in the
nucleus
To make proteins,
DNA must get its
instructions to the
ribosomes who
make proteins.
To transport its
instructions, it
uses Messenger
RNA (mRNA)
RNA
Ribonucleic
Acid
Consists only
of one strand
of nucleotides
Has ribose (a
5C sugar) NOT
deoxyribose
Has uracil (U)
as a
nitrogenous
base NOT
DNA by the Numbers
Each cell has about 3
meters of DNA.
The average human has
300 trillion cells.
The average human has
enough DNA to go from
the earth to the sun more
than 400 times.
DNA has a diameter of
only 0.000000002 meters.
The earth is 150 billion meters
or 93 million miles from
the sun.
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