DNA – The Code for Life

Question: Why don’t we all

look alike?
 All Living Things…
 Have cells.
 All cells contain the genetic instructions
that make an organism unique. 
Adapted to environment, appearance,
preferences, behaviors, survival instincts,
etc.
 DNA

We get our genetic

codes/instructions from DNA
that is located inside every cell.
 Jurassic Park DNA Scene
 (Youtube.com)
 DNA
DNA stands for – Deoxyribonucleic acid
Functions of DNA:
1. Carries the codes to make
proteins.
2. Carries the genetic material
that is passed on from the
parents to the offspring.
 Discovery of DNA
Rosalind Franklin - Invented X-ray diffraction
photography. Photo used
to determine the shape of
DNA is spiral.
DISCOVERY OF DNA
James Watson and Francis
Crick used the information
from Franklin and other
scientists to build a 3-D
model of DNA.

Won the
Nobel Peace
Prize in
Chemistry in
1961.
 Structure of DNA
Shape of DNA - Like a twisted rope ladder.

This shape is called Double

Helix.

A single spiral would be

called Helix.
STRUCTURE OF DNA
Side Pieces (The Rope Part)
Are alternating units of
a (1) five-carbon sugar
and a (2) phosphate
group. These go down
both sides of the
molecule
phosphate

Sugar (called deoxyribose)

 STRUCTURE OF DNA
Nitrogen Bases (Steps of the ladder) -
1. Adenine – A
2. Thymine – T
3. Cytosine – C
4. Guanine - G

The bases are

connected to the
sugar only !!!!!
 STRUCTURE OF DNA
The nitrogen bases fit together in this way:

Adenine always goes

with Thymine

Cytosine always goes

with Guanine

The bases are held together by a weak hydrogen

bond. Two (2) bonds between A and T, three (3)
bonds between C and G.
Purines and Pyrimidines
Purines: A & G
Pyrimidines: T & C

Both basically serve the same

purpose but structure
is different. Structure allows
these to be used in different
ways in cells

Purines- 2 carbon-nitrogen
rings, 4 nitrogen
atoms

Pyrimidines-1 carbon-nitrogen
ring, 2 nitrogen atoms
 STRUCTURE OF DNA

These three parts form the basic unit of DNA

called the NUCLEOTIDE. (subunits of DNA)

phosphate

Nitrogen base
Sugar Can be A, T, C or G
(deoxyribose)
 STRUCTURE OF DNA
The nitrogen bases fit together in this way:

Adenine always goes

with Thymine

Cytosine always goes

with Guanine

The bases are held together by a weak hydrogen

bond. Two (2) bonds between A and T, three (3)
bonds between C and G.
 phosphate
adenine
sugar
thymine

cytocine

guanine
STRUCTURE OF DNA

One complete
turn of the
double helix is
10 base pairs or
10 steps on the
ladder
DNA Nucleotide Drawing
 Where is DNA located?

 DNA molecules are coiled up inside of EVERY

SINGLE CELL!
 The structures that DNA is coiled into are called
CHROMOSOMES.  This is how the DNA molecules
actually fit inside of tiny cells.
 Chromosomes

 Definition: The structure that DNA is organized in.

 They come in pairs, half from each parent.
 NUMBERS OF CHROMOSOMES VS
COMPLEXITY
The number of chromosomes in the cells of eukaryotes
differs from one kind of organism to another and has
NOTHING to do with the complexity of the organism.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Goldfish - 98
Wheat - 42

Human - 46
Potato - 48
Fruit fly - 8

A fern called Ophioglossum reticulatum has 1,260

chromosomes per cell, more than any other known organism.
 CHROMOSOME ARRANGEMENT
All regular body cells have all the same parts in
multi-cellular organisms and the same # of
chromosomes.
There are 46 chromosomes in human body cells.
Chromosomes always come in pairs.
In humans there are 46 chromosomes for a
total 22 of pairs.
of 23 the pairs are
similar.
The 23rd pair is
different.
These are the sex
chromosomes.
Male xy
Female xx
 CHROMOSOME ARRANGEMENT
HUMAN BODY CELLS HAVE 46
CHROMOSOMES OR 23 PAIRS.

Bone cell

Nerve cell

BULLFROG BODY CELLS

HAVE 26
CHROMOSOMES OR 13
FRUIT FLY BODY CELLS HAVE 8
PAIR. OR 4 PAIR.
CHROMOSOMES
Gene: segment of DNA on your
chromosomes that determines
your traits.
Traits
• Characteristics about an organism that are
determined by the information carried on
genes (segments of DNA).
Siblings???
 If you have a sibling, and you both get the DNA from your (same)
mom & dad, why don’t you look exactly alike?????
Siblings
 Since sex cells only get half the number of chromosomes, each sex
cell does not get the same exact half.
 During sex cell formation, chromosomes randomly reconnect to form
a new gene variety.
 (We will talk about this more in reproduction… next unit…)
 How does DNA copy itself?

Purpose: DNA copies itself to ensure that each

new cell that is produced gets the correct number
of chromosomes and receives an EXACT copy
of the DNA molecule.
This is called DNA REPLICATION.
The DNA molecule serves
as its own pattern or
template so as an exact
copy can be made.
Replication #1

Replication #2
 STEPS OF DNA REPLICATION

1. DNA untwists and unzips down the hydrogen

bonds. This is why the bonds had to be WEAK.

2. New nucleotides fill in the naked ends produced

by the unzipping process.

3. Nucleotides continue to fill in until the entire

strand is complete.

4. This results in 2 new identical DNA molecules.

What happens when there is a
problem during replication?
 A permanent change in the sequence of DNA is
known as a mutation
 (a small change that occurs during replication but is
caught/corrected is known as a point mutation)
DNA REPLICATION
What if there is a
mistake?
There is always a chance
that the wrong
nucleotide bonds to
another. HOWEVER,
DNA has a special
enzyme that is
responsible for
“reading” the bases and
recognizing and
replacing damaged or
wrong nucleotides. This
PROOFREADING
allows for only one (1)
error in ONE BILLION
nucleotides.
 Possible causes of mutations
 Error during replication
 Error during fertilization (reproduction)
 Outside factors such as X-rays and chemical have ben
known to change or breakdown chromosomes
 Common mutations (in humans)
 Pimples/acne, high fertility (twins), heart disease,
diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, color blindness,
heterochromia (two different colors in one eye OR two
different colored eyes), red hair, down syndrome, blue
eyes, freckles
Different types of mutations
Different types of mutations:
Substitution/Inversion

 Switches a section of base pairs

 Switching an A or a G
Different types of mutations:
Insertion and Deletion

 Insertion= extra base pairs are inserted into a new plane

 Deletion= a section of DNA is lost or deleted

 Different types of mutations:
Duplication

 A piece of DNA
is abnormally
copied one or
more times
Different types of mutations:
Translocation

 Altered chromosome arrangement

 We have been told that DNA is the
blueprint for life, BUT what does that
DNA holds the instructions
mean? that tell a
cell how to construct amino acid chains.

SO WHAT?
That is important Proteins
because amino AND build
acid chains build
proteins. cells