8th February 2022

Inheritance, Variation and Evolution DNA and the Genome

The Structure of DNA:
● DNA is a polymer that is made up of four different nucleotides. Two strands of DNA twist
together to form a double helix
● Each nucleotide is made of a sugar and phosphate group with one of four different bases
attached
● The four bases are A, C, G and T. The C base is always linked to a G base on the
complementary strand. An A base is always linked to a T base on the complementary strand

The DNA Code:

● A sequence of three bases is the code for a particular amino acid
● The order of bases controls the order in which amino acids are assembled to produce a
particular protein

● A gene is a small section of DNA on a chromosome. Each gene codes for a particular sequence
of amino acids and that makes a specific protein
Understanding the Human Genome:
● The genome of an organism is the entire genetic material of that organism
● Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. One of each set from their mum and one from their
dad
● This means that almost every cell in the human body contains 46 chromosomes

● Scientists are currently working on sequencing the genomes of 100 000 people. The aim is to
find out as much as they can about human DNA
○ It helps us to search for genes that are linked to different types of disease. This gives
us more information on the risk of people developing the disease and might allow us
to reduce the risk by encouraging lifestyle changes or interventions
○ It helps us to understand and treat inherited disorders. The more we know about
faulty genes, the more chance we have at developing treatments to overcome them
○ We can use the information to trace human migration patterns from the past. This
helps us to understand human evolution and history
DNA: