DNA

Structure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrTGclug
G0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwibgNGe4aY
 *

Inheritance & Genes

⚫ To understand how we inherit characteristics
from our parents and how genes accomplish
this
 Inherited
⚫ Children usually look a little like their father, and a little like
their mother, but they will not be identical to either of their
parents

⚫ Offspring get half of their inherited features from each

parent

⚫ During fertilisation, the nucleus from the sperm cell joins

with the nucleus in the egg cell, and a new nucleus is formed
with all the genetic information needed
 Genetic Information
⚫ The genetic information passed from parent to offspring
is contained in genes, carried by chromosomes in the
nucleus

⚫ All body cells have a nucleus which contains all genetic

information
 Chromosomes & Genes
⚫ A gene is a section of DNA that carries the code for a
particular protein

⚫ Different genes control the development of different

characteristics of an organism – many genes are needed
to carry all the genetic information for a whole
organism
 Species
⚫ The number of chromosomes and genes varies from
species to species

⚫ For example, cells in human beings have 46

chromosomes (23 pairs) that carry about 30,000 genes
in each cell; and cells in fruit flies have eight
chromosomes that carry about 13,600 genes
 Inherited
▪ Some variations are inherited, whilst other variations
are due to environmental factors

▪ Inherited variation is a characteristic you have got

from your parents - what can you inherit?

Gender
Eye colour
Hair colour
Skin colour
Lobed or lobeless ears
 Important Scientists in the
“Race for the Double Helix”
⚫ James Watson & Francis Crick (1953)
⚫ Created the first accurate model of DNA
⚫ Won the Nobel Prize
 DNA’s Structure
⚫ DNA is a double helix – this makes DNA
look like a “twisted ladder”.
⚫ Each molecule of DNA is composed of a
“backbone” on the outside and bases that
point towards the middle of the molecule.
⚫ The monomer (building blocks) for DNA
is the nucleotide
Nucleic Acid Types:
⚫ Examples:
⚫ RNA (ribonucleic acid)
⚫ single helix

⚫ DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

⚫ double helix
When does a cell copy DNA?
⚫ When in the life of a cell does DNA have to
be copied?
⚫ cell reproduction
⚫ mitosis
⚫ gamete production
⚫ meiosis
But how is DNA copied?
⚫ Replication of DNA
⚫ base pairing suggests that it will allow
each side to serve as a template for a new
strand
DNA Structure
⚫ DNA consists of two 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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_vzY7H
9GYk
Nitrogenous Bases
⚫ DNA is made of nitrogenous bases.
⚫ These four bases are:
⚫ adenine (A)
⚫ cytosine (C)
⚫ guanine (G)
⚫ thymine (T)
DNA molecule
⚫ Double helix
⚫ H bonds between bases
join the 2 strands
⚫ A :: T
⚫ C :: G
H bonds are:
- easy to unzip double helix for
replication and then re-zip for
storage

- easy to unzip to “read” gene and

then re-zip for storage
DNA Bases
⚫ Purines – double-ringed molecule
⚫ Ex. Adenine and Guanine
⚫ Pyrimidines – single-ringed molecule
⚫ Ex. Cytosine and Thymine
Nucleotides

Phosphate

Nitrogenous
Base

Pentose
Sugar
Nucleotides
⚫ The phosphate and sugar form the backbone
of the DNA molecule, whereas the bases form
the “rungs”.

⚫ There are four types of nitrogenous bases.

Nucleotides
A T

Adenine Thymine

C G

Cytosine Guanine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKWgc
FPHqw
Nucleotides
⚫ Each base will only bond with one other
specific base.

⚫ Adenine (A)
Form a base pair.
⚫ Thymine (T)

⚫ Cytosine (C)
⚫ Guanine (G) Form a base pair.
 • Complementary
Base-Pairing Rules
⚫ DNA is built following the complementary
base-pairing rules.
⚫ These state that:
⚫ A always pairs with T
⚫ T always pairs with A
⚫ C always pairs with G
⚫ G always pairs with C
⚫ In RNA, adenine (A) pairs with uracil (U).
We will look at this in a later.
DNA Structure
⚫ Because of this complementary base pairing,
the order of the bases in one strand
determines the order of the bases in the other
strand.
A T

C G

T A

C G

A T

G C

T A
Sugar-Phosphate Backbone
Crashcourse DNA Video
⚫ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kK2zwj
RV0M
DNA Structure
⚫ To crack the genetic code found in DNA we
need to look at the sequence of bases.

⚫ The bases are arranged in triplets called

codons.

AGG-CTC-AAG-TCC-TAG
TCC-GAG-TTC-AGG-ATC
DNA Structure
⚫ 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.
 DNA
Gene
Protein

Trait
Task: