MODELLING DNA

The nucleus of cells are where long, thin, threadlike structures called chromosomes are found.
Chromosomes contain a substance called deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA for short. It is the DNA in
the chromosomes that determines your characteristics.

The chemical composition of DNA was first investigated in 1869 when the German chemist
Friedrich Miescher found that a substance from cell nuclei was acidic and contained the element
phosphorous. Because it was found in the nucleus, this substance was initially called nuclein and
later called deoxyribonucleic acid. In the 1950s, James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins
proposed that the DNA molecule is shaped like a double helix – something like the lookout in
King’s Park, Perth.

The DNA contains sugars (deoxyribose), phosphates and nitrogen-containing substances called
bases. There are four types of bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T) and cytosine (C). In
the DNA molecule, base A on one strand will bond only with T, and C will bond only with G. For
this reason, A-T and C-G are called base pairs. The DNA molecule is double stranded with each
base on one strand weakly bonded to its base pair on the other strand. This bonding makes the
two strands lock together to form the double helix shape. A model of DNA is shown below with a
simplified structure on the right.
 MODELLING DNA

COMPLEMENTARY BASE PAIRING

The chemical structure of the nitrogen-rich bases means that they can only form chemical bonds
with one of the other bases.

 Adenine (A) only pairs with thymine (T)

 Cytosine (C) only pairs with guanine (G).

One side of the DNA ladder could be like the figure shown below with the sugar-phosphate
backbone and the attached bases.

Using complementary base pairing, the other side of the molecule would look like the figure below.

When the two sides are put together, the DNA molecule shown in the figure below would be the
result.
 MODELLING DNA

MODELLING DNA

Aim: To construct a model of DNA.

Materials required per group: 36 coloured paperclips (9 yellow, 9 green, 9 blue, 9 red), 2 strips of
paper 1.5 cm x 30 cm, coloured pencils.

Method:

1. Use paperclips to represent the bases in your DNA molecule. Choose a different colour for each
of the bases adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. Make a note of bases and their colours.

2. Mark the two strips of paper into 2 cm sections.

3. Shade the two strips of paper in alternating blocks of colour to represent the sugar and
phosphate molecules as shown in the figure below.

4. Attach ten of your coloured clips randomly (in any sequence you like) to the ‘sugar molecules’
along one of the strips.

5. Use the base-pairing rules to build and attach the complementary bases.

Results:

DNA Part Colour of strip or paperclip

Sugar
Phosphate
Adenine
Guanine
Cytosine
Thymine
QUESTIONS

1. What colour paperclips represent:

 MODELLING DNA

(a) Adenine –

(b) Thymine –

(c) Guanine –

(d) Cytosine –

2. What do the letters DNA stand for?

Deoxyribonucleic acid

3. Describe a ‘double helix’.

The shape of DNA, like a twisted rope ladder

4. The following diagram is a simplified section of the double-stranded DNA molecule.

(a) Identify the components X and Y.

X: phosphate group

Y: deoxyribose sugar

(b) The nitrogen bases on Strand 1 are: C G T T G G. What are the letters of the matching nitrogen
bases?

GCAACC

5. The structures of guanine and cytosine are shown below.

 MODELLING DNA

(a) Count the number of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) atoms in each
molecule.

GUANINE

Carbon: 5

Hydrogen: 5

Nitrogen: 5

Oxygen: 1

CYTOSINE

Carbon: 4

Hydrogen: 5

Nitrogen: 3

Oxygen: 1

(b) Write the chemical formula for each molecule.

GUANINE: C5H5N5O (numbers are written below the element name)

CYTOSINE: C4H5N3O (“”)

6. For the DNA strand below, suggest the corresponding DNA strand. The first three have been
done for you.

TAC CAT CGG CCA ATG ACG CGG CGG ATT

ATG GTA GCC GGT TAC TGC GCC GCC TAA

7. Who am I? State the name(s) of the:

 MODELLING DNA

(a) building blocks that make up DNA

nucleotides

(b) three parts that make up nucleotides

Phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar and one of four nitrogen-rich bases

(c) four possible types of nitrogenous bases in DNA

Thymine, adenine, cytosine, guanine

(d) complementary base pair that pairs with thymine

adenine

(e) complementary base pair that pairs with guanine

cytosine

8. The diagram below represents a section of strand of DNA. Determine the complementary
structure to this strand. The first three have been done for you.

TCACCGTAGTAATTC