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DNA
DNA is often
called the
blueprint of life.
In simple terms,
DNA contains the
instructions for
making proteins
within the cell.
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 Why do we study DNA?
DNA
We study DNA for
many reasons,
e.g.,
its central
importance to all
life on Earth,
medical benefits
such as cures for
diseases,
better food crops.
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 Chromosomes and DNA

Our genes are on

our chromosomes.
Chromosomes are
made up of a
chemical called
DNA.

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 The Shape of the Molecule

DNA is a very long

polymer.
The basic shape is
like a twisted ladder
or zipper.
This is called a
double helix.
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The Double Helix Molecule
The DNA
double helix
has two
strands
twisted
together.

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 One Strand of DNA
The backbone of phosphate

the molecule is
alternating
phosphates and deoxyribose
deoxyribose
sugar
The teeth are
nitrogenous bases
bases.
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 O Nucleotides
O -P O
O
One deoxyribose together
O with its phosphate and base
O -P O make a nucleotide.
O O
O -P O
O Nitrogenous
O base
Phosphate
C

C
C

C C

O Deoxyribose 8
 One Strand of DNA
nucleotide

One strand of
DNA is a polymer
of nucleotides.
One strand of
DNA has many
millions of
nucleotides.

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 Four nitrogenous bases
DNA has four different bases:

CytosineC
Thymine T
Adenine A
Guanine G

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Two Kinds of Bases in DNA
N
Pyrimidines are N C
O C C
single ring bases.
N C

Purines are N C
N
double ring C C
N
bases. N C
N C

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 Thymine and Cytosine are
pyrimidines

Thymine and cytosine each have one ring of

carbon and nitrogen atoms.

N
O
N N C
C
O C C
O C C C
N C
N C
thymine cytosine
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 Adenine and Guanine are
purines
Adenine and guanine each have two
rings of carbon and nitrogen atoms.

N O
N C N C

C C N C C
N N
N C N C
C
Adenine N C Guanine N 13
 Two Stranded DNA
Remember, DNA
has two strands
that fit
together
something like a
zipper.
The teeth are
the nitrogenous
bases but why
do they stick
together?
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 Hydrogen Bonds
The bases attract each

N
other because of
hydrogen bonds.

C
N

N
Hydrogen bonds are weak
but there are millions

C
and millions of them in a

N
O
single molecule of DNA.

C
The bonds between N
cytosine and guanine are C N
shown here with dotted
C C O
lines 15

C N
 Hydrogen Bonds, cont.
O
When making N C
hydrogen bonds,
cytosine always O C C C
pairs up with N
guanine N C
C
N
Adenine always pairs C N
up with thymine
C
Adenine is bonded C C
to thymine here N N

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Chargraffs Rule:
Adenine and Thymine
always join together
A T
Cytosine and Guanine
always join together
C G

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 DNA by the Numbers
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. The earth is 150 billion m
DNA has a diameter of or 93 million miles from
only 0.000000002 m. the sun.

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