DNA: The

Genetic
Material
DNA History
• Important People:
– 1928 Frederick Griffith
– 1944 Oswald Avery
– 1952 Hershey-Chase
– Erwin Chargaff
– Early 1950’s Rosalind Franklin
and Maurice Wilkins
– 1954 James Watson and Francis
Crick
Avery

• Determines
that genes
are
composed of
DNA
Chargaff

• Discovers the
percentage of Guanine
is about the same as
Cytosine in any DNA
sample. The same with
Adenine and Thymine.
• As a result, develops
base pairing rule:
– A with T and C with G
 Rosalind Franklin
Takes pictures of chromosomes using
x-ray crystallography (assisted
by Maurice Wilkins)

Franklin’s x-ray
crystallography
Maurice Wilkins Rosalind Franklin photograph
Griffith
• Discovers that a
factor in heat-killed,
disease-causing
bacteria can
“transform”
harmless bacteria
into ones that can
cause disease
Watson and Crick
• 1st to discover and model the
shape of DNA as a double helix.
1962 Nobel Prize Winners
Unfortunately,
Rosalind Franklin
died of breast
cancer before the
Nobel prize was
awarded. The Nobel
prize is not
awarded post-
humously.

Watson Crick
Wilkins
What is DNA?
• (deoxyribonucleic acid)-
the genetic material that
carries information about
an organism. It is passed
from parent to offspring.
• DNA is often called the
blueprint of life.
10
 Chromosomes and DNA

• Our genes are on

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

a part of a cell contains the gene. 11

The Double Helix Molecule
• The DNA
double helix
has two
strands
twisted
together.

12
What is the purpose, or function, of
DNA?

• Stores the genetic information

that instructs the cell on which
proteins to make.
• So, DNA makes PROTEINS
• Responsible for determining all
organism’s traits such as eye
color, body structure, and enzyme Proteins are
production. responsible
for most of
these traits!
What is the Chemical composition of
DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a type

of nucleic acid. Nucleic acids are also
known as polynucleotides because
they are composed of many
nucleotides linked together in a long
chain. Each nucleotide of DNA is
chemically made up of three
components.
3 components:

1. Five- carbon
sugar
(pentose)
called
deoxyribose)
2. Phosphate
group
3. Nitrogenous
bases
Four different nitrogenous bases (rungs of the
ladder) :

a. Adenine (A)
b. Thymine (T)
c. Guanine (G)
d. Cytosine (C)
Two Kinds of Bases in DNA
• Pyrimidines are N C
N

single ring bases. O C C

N C

• Purines are
double ring bases. N C
N

C C
N
N C
N C

17
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
18
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
Guanine C
Adenine C
N N
19
 Identifying Base Pairs
***DNA strands are complimentary to one another
(match up with each other).
A & T and G & C

Given the following sequences of DNA, find the

complementary strands :
a. AGT b. CAG

TCA GTC

c. CTT d. AGC

GAA TCG
DNA BASE PAIRING

AGT CCT TTG ATG ATT

TCA GGA AAC TAC TAA
DNA BASE PAIRING

TTA GTT CCC AAT GTG

AAT CAA GGG TTA CAC
DNA BASE PAIRING

CCA GGA TTG TGT TAT

GGT CCT AAC ACA ATA
DNA BASE PAIRING

AAT TGA TTT AAC GCT

TTA ACT AAA TTG CGA
Write the complimentary DNA strand for each given strand of DNA.

1. GGCATTCGCGATCATG
2. CGTTAGCATGCTTCAT
3. CGTAAGCGCTAATTA
4. TCTTAAATGATCGATC
5. AATGAATAGCTAGCTT
Differences between DNA and RNA
1. RNA has uracil and DNA
has thymine.
2. RNA is a single helix and
DNA is a double helix.
3. RNA is very small and DNA
is very large.
4. RNA can travel between
the nucleus and the
cytoplasm, DNA is only in
the nucleus.
5. RNA has ribose sugar and
DNA has deoxyribose.
 Major steps in DNA Replication :

1. DNA
unwinds (untwists)
exposing the nitrogenous bases.

2. DNA unzips – weak hydrogen

bonds between nitrogenous
bases break.

*Hydrogen bonds are the weakest

type
of bond that occurs in molecules.
3. New complimentary strands
form –
nitrogenous bases floating in
the
nucleus of the cell pair up with
the bases
on each half of the DNA
molecule.
4. Two new DNA molecules that are
exactly alike are formed.
-Both new strands are identical to
the
original strand of DNA.
 T H A T
TE : U R E S
N O P I C T T H IS
L T H E E I N
AL L L S E E R E
W I N W
YO U T I O E
E N T A M T H
PR ES F R O FAN
B B E D O O K
G R A A C E B
S T S F U G H
A R TI T H R O
E O R G ES
P A G L E IM A
O O G
G
THEN vs NOW

TAYLOR SWIFT
THEN vs NOW

ZAC EFRON
THEN vs NOW

ALDUB
GENETIC MATERIAL:
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
 KEY TERMS
• DNA – stores genetic information
• GENE – a sequence of DNA that
encodes for a particular protein
• PROTEINS – large molecules
composed of amino acids
• RNA – a nucleotide that copies
genetic information from DNA
 KEY TERMS
• mRNA – messenger RNA, carries
genetic information from DNA then
provides which protein will be
produced
• CODON – the three-letter words of
mRNA sequence
• tRNA – transfer RNA, carries the
amino acid/protein to the mRNA
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

AMINO
DNA mRNA ACID

Transcription of DNA
to mRNA
Translation of mRNA
to Amino Acid
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Transcription is the copying of a
DNA gene into mRNA. It occurs in
the nucleus of the cell.
• In transcription, adenine pairs with
uracil, guanine pairs with cytosine
and thymine pairs with adenine
A – U; G – C; T – A
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example #1:
What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

GTA
CAU
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example #2:
What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

AAG TCA
UUC AGU
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example #3:
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

AGT TTC CAG

UCA AAG GUC
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

AGT
UCA
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

CCT
GGA
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

TTG
AAC
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

ATT
UAA
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

TTA
AAU
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

GTT
CAA
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

CCC
GGG
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
copy of the DNA gene:

AAT
UUA
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

AMINO
DNA mRNA ACID

Transcription of DNA
to mRNA
Translation of mRNA
to Amino Acid
 TRANSLATION
• Translation takes place in the
ribosome.
• It occurs when the mRNA codon is
translated into its corresponding
amino acid.
• The tRNA carries the specific type of
amino acid which will be attached
to the codon of the mRNA.
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example # 1:
What is the corresponding Amino
acid of the mRNA codon?
GTA DNA
mRNA
CAU Codon
Amino
His (Histidine) Acid
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example #2:
What is the corresponding Amino
acid of the mRNA codon?
AAG TCA
UUC AGU
Phe Ser
 TRANSCRIPTION
• Example #3
• What is the corresponding Amino
acid of the mRNA codon?
AGT TTC CAG
UCA AAG GUC
Ser Lys Val
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
AGT:

UCA
Ser
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
CCT:

GGA
Gly
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
TTG:

AAC
Asn
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
AAT:

UUA
Leu
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
GTT:

CAA
Gln
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
CCC:

GGG
Gly
 YOUR TURN!
• What is the corresponding mRNA
and protein copy of the DNA gene
AAT:

UUA
Leu
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

AMINO
DNA mRNA ACID

Transcription of DNA
to mRNA
Translation of mRNA
to Amino Acid
LET’S SYNTHESIZE MORE!
• Identify the mRNA of the DNA and
its corresponding amino acid:
GGA AAT GTG CCT GAC
CCU UUA CAC GGA CUG
Pro – Leu – His – Gly - Leu
LET’S SYNTHESIZE MORE!
• Identify the mRNA of the DNA and
its corresponding amino acid:
AGT CCT TTG ATG ATT
UCA GGA AAC UAC UAA
Ser – Gly – Asn – Tyr - Stop
LET’S SYNTHESIZE MORE!
• Identify the mRNA of the DNA and
its corresponding amino acid:
TTA GTT CCC AAT GTG
AAU CAA GGG UUA CAC
Asn – Gln – Gly – Leu - His
LET’S SYNTHESIZE MORE!
• Identify the mRNA of the DNA and
its corresponding amino acid:
TTG CCA TTA TAT TTT
AAC GGU AAU AUA AAA
Asn – Gly – Asn – Ile - Lys
LET’S SYNTHESIZE MORE!
• Identify the mRNA of the DNA and
its corresponding amino acid:
CCC TTT AAA GGG GGA
GGG AAA UUU CCC CCU
Gly – Lys – Phe – Pro - Pro
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

HOW DO
PROTEINS
AFFECT THE
BODY?
THEN vs NOW

TAYLOR SWIFT
THEN vs NOW

ZAC EFRON
THEN vs NOW

ALDUB
 PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

HOW DO DIFFER
FROM YOUR
CLASSMATES?
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

HOW DOES
PROTEIN
SYNTHESIS
OCCUR?
 ASSIGNMENT
• Answer the following :
to be submitted on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
What is gene mutation?
– How does it affect human beings?
– Is there an advantage when genes
become mutated?