DNA: Structure

Biology 12

DNA Facts:

Each cell has about 2 m of DNA. The average human has 75 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 m. The earth is 150 billion m or 93 million miles from the sun.

DNA:
Deoxyribonucleic acid DNA is often called the blueprint or building blocks of life. In simple terms, DNA contains the instructions for making proteins within the cell Our genes are on our chromosomes. Chromosomes are made up of DNA and other proteins.

DNA Structure:

DNA consists of two polymers (chainlike molecules) that are arranged into a ladder-like structure called a Double Helix. A molecule of DNA is made up of millions of tiny subunits called Nucleotides.

Each nucleotide consists of: 1. Phosphate group 2. Pentose sugar 3. Nitrogenous base

The Double Helix.

The

double helix has two strands of DNA twisted together.

Structure contd:

The phosphate and sugar form the backbone of the DNA molecule, whereas the bases form the rungs.

Ladder or zipper analogy!

Nucleotides:
Phosphate

Nitrogenous Base Pentose Sugar

DNA has four nitrogenous different bases:

Cytosine Thymine Adenine Guanine

They

C T A G

are abbreviated by using their first letters.

Nucleotides contd:
A T

Adenine

Thymine

Cytosine

Guanine

 There

are two kinds of bases in DNA:

1. Pyrimidines (1 ring)
Thymine (T) Cytosine (C) Adenine (A) Guanine (G)

2. Purines (2 rings)

Back to the double helix.

Remember, DNA has two strands that fit together something like a zipper. The teeth are the nitrogenous bases

But why do they stick together? How do they pair up?

12

Nucleotides contd:
Each

base will only bond with one other specific base. Called Chargraffs Rule:
Adenine (A) Thymine (T) Cytosine (C) Guanine (G)

Form a base pair.

Form a base pair.

A C
T C

T
G A G

A
G T

T C
A

 Because of this complementary base pairing, the

order of the bases in one strand determines the order of the bases in the other strand.

The bases attract each other because of hydrogen bonds.

Hydrogen bonds are weak but there are millions and millions of them in a single molecule of DNA.

What does it all mean?

A gene is a section of DNA that codes for a protein.

Each unique gene has a unique sequence of bases.

This unique sequence of bases will code for the production of a unique protein. It is these proteins and combination of proteins that give us a unique phenotype.

To do :
1. 2. 3.

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