Lesson 1: DNA Introduction Presentation Transcript

Hello and welcome to Mrs.Crook’s 9th Grade Biology Class. This is DNA: Lesson 1- DNA
Structure Presentation and Activity. In today’s overview we will be discussing: Chemical
Element, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Nucleic Acids, DNA, and Complementary
base pairing. The objectives for today are students will be able to listen to and write about the
structure and function of DNA, plan and design a model of DNA, and construct DNA molecules
using nitrogenous bases, sugar, and phosphate groups. Let’s get started by reviewing chemical
element.

What are elements?

Elements are substances that cannot be separated into simpler substances. However, there are
exceptions that you will learn later on in chemistry

Periodic table of the Elements. Reminder: The periodic table is an arrangement of the chemical
elements ordered by atomic number so that periodic properties of the elements (chemical
periodicity) are made clear.

Specific elements that we will be covering when describing the DNA structure is H, N, O, and P.
H is Hydrogen, N is Nitrogen, O is Oxygen, and P is Phosphorus. Now recalling our greek and
latin root words that we covered at the beginning of the semester break down the word hydrogen.
Hydro- is water and gen- that which produces or forms.

Now to me that doesn’t make sense. However, during ancient times people called salt and
sometimes sugar “niter”. Niter is a colorless to white mineral and is usually in the crystalline
form. For Nitrogen remember crystals. But the chemical formula of salt and sugar do not have
Nitrogen. This is confusing, but it will make more sense when we make the DNA structure and
have a lab that involves the chemical composition and degradation of sugar and salt in our
bodies. Oxygen is from the Greek oxy-, meaning both 'sharp' and 'acid', and -gen, meaning 'acid-
forming'. Phosphorus is from the Greek phoosphoros meaning to 'carrying light'

Each nucleotide is composed of one of four nitrogen-containing nucleobases (cytosine [C],

guanine [G], adenine [A] or thymine [T]), a sugar ribose or deoxyribose, and at least one
phosphate group.

These complementary base pairs ATCG are called complementary because A and T match. As
you can see in the picture A and T fit like puzzle pieces. The same applies to C and G.

What do you know about DNA?

Take a moment to write down some words or phrases that relate to DNA or what you know
about DNA. Please share with your partner after you are done.

What does DNA stand for? DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. The functions of DNA are to
store and transfer genetic material. The structure of the DNA is made up of over 3 billion
nucleotides. What are nucleotides again? Base pairs (ATCG), phosphate group, and sugar
groups. DNA is also considered a double helix which is two strands of nucleotides that are
twisted or intertwines. DNA is anti-parallel that means the strands go in opposite directions. So,
one strand goes one way and the other strand goes the other way. You can see the direction
indicated by the arrows on the DNA image on the left that has a 5 and the 3, which go in
different directions.

Now that we understand DNA and its structure, let's try to fill in the blank for the DNA. A
matches what? T matches what? C matches what? G matches what? What are the circles in the
images? What are the pentagons? What do the lines in between the base pairs indicate? If you are
feeling adventurous, try to label the direction with arrows or 3 and 5.

Take a moment to fill out the worksheet then compare your image to your neighbors. Now
compare your image to this one. Does it match?

Let make our own DNA out of paper!