DNA+Structure

When describing the structure of DNA you will need to include:


 * the chemical components of the DNA (sugar, phosphate and bases) and how they come together to form a DNA molecule.
 * complimentary bases pairing and the structure of pyrimidines and purines that means A bonds with T and C with G
 * drawing the sturcture of DNA including labels showing: sugar; phosphate; base (name the base using the number of hydrogen bonds as the clue); hydrogen bonds; purine base; pyrimadine base; number the 5 carbon atoms on sugar molecule
 * the relationship between DNA, chromosome and gene
 * the anti-parallel nature of DNA strands
 * Describe the structure of chromosomes to include the role of histones and chromatin on the way that chromosomes are packaged.
 * Describe the structure and function of DNA and RNA and explain their role in protein synthesis.
 * Describe and recognise the stages involved in cell division in both gametic and somatic cells.

Follow the link to watch the flash presentation we watched in class, this gives an overview of DNA then... the following clip is quite good at explaining many aspects above ...unfortunately not the 3' - 5' Carbons on the sugars but check out the animation from JohnKyrk.com for better understanding.

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__**Collaborative Notes on DNA Structure**__ (now its your turn class to compile some shared notes)

First hold the 'ctrl' button and then click F. This is a search engine that will enable you to find a word within this page.

A glossary on genes which you can print and use (Feel free to add anything onto it).

The deoxynucleic acid or DNA is the genetic code found in the cell of every organism. The DNA is,as the name shows is a type of nucleic acid. The other type of nucleic acid is the RNA(ribosenucleic acid). The DNA takes on the shape of a double helix and is found in the nucleus of the eukaryote. The shape of the DNA is a double helix.

The DNA differs from the RNA but is made up of the same building blocks of the RNA which are the __nucleotides__. The nucleotides are also called the monomers(while the DNA is the polymer). The nucleotides are made up of a nitrogen base,5 carbon-sugars and a phosphate group. The nucleotide.

The phosphate group will join to the carbon sugar group to form a long chain of DNA.

There are 4 different types of nucleotides in the DNA due to the variety in the nitrogen base.


 * Adenine
 * Guanine
 * Thymine
 * Cytosine

Adenine and Guanine are a different type of nucleotide than Thymine and Cytosine. Adenine and Guanine are purines while Thymine and Cytosine are pyrimidines.

As you can see, the purines are a 'larger' molecule than that of the pyrimidines.

The purines can join only to the pyrimidines because of the different shape. Therefore,Guanine will join to Cytosine and Adenine will join to Thymine.

Interesting fact: Guanine will join to Cytosine. Remember this by remembering the initials, G to C. GC are my initials so there you have it GC. I didn't make it up. It was already there. P.s. In case you don't know the person typing this is Gavril Chong.

Guanine will join to Cytosine by 3 hydrogen bonds and Adenine will join to Thymine by 2 hydrogen bonds.

I made it myself. Anyway, remember Guanine will join to Cytosine by 3 hydrogen bonds as in 3 science subjects,Biology,Chemistry and Physics.

Adenine will join to Thymine by 2 hydrogen bonds. The DNA are made up of the nucleotides joined together in a long chain. The RNA differs from the DNA in several ways:


 * 1) The DNA is a double helix or double stranded while the RNA is single stranded.

2. The DNA has one less oxygen atom than that of RNA which is why DNA is **deoxy**nucleic acid meaning one less oxygen atom.

3. The RNA has a __uracil__ base that replaces thymine.

4. The RNA strand is relatively shorter than the DNA strand

__Condensing of the DNA__ The DNA in the eukaryote cell is longer than the DNA in the prokaryote and can be as long as 1 meter. This is because the prokaryote cell, in terms of functions, are much simpler and more efficient. //A simple Prokaryote cell. A complex Eukaryotic cell.// The DNA thus must be condensed in such a efficient way.


 * 1) The DNA is wrapped around highly alkaline proteins called histones. The DNA is wrapped around the histone 1.6 times to allow the DNA to be compacted.

A few extra things to help you understand and visualise the above information:



Picture from: []

//__ Similarities and Differences Between DNA and RNA __//


 *  Characteristic ||  DNA  ||  RNA  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">1. Deoxyribonucleic acid ||  ✔ ||   ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">2. Ribonucleic acid ||  ||  ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">3. Ribose sugar present ||  ||  ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">4. Deoxyribose sugar present ||  ✔ ||   ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">5. It’s sugar is linked to a phosphate group at one end and a nitrogenous base at the other end ||  ✔ ||  ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">6. Polymer of nucleotides || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔ || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">7. Nitrogenous bases: ||  ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: right;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Adenine (A) present || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: right;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Thymine (T) present || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||   ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: right;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Uracil (U) present ||   || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: right;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Cytosine (C) present || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: right;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;">Guanine (G) present || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">8. Two (2) double chains held in a double helix by hydrogen bonds || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔ ||   ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">9. Single-stranded ||  || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; msoelement: frame; msoelementanchorhorizontal: column; msoelementanchorvertical: paragraph; msoelementframehspace: 9.0pt; msoelementtop: .05pt; msoelementwrap: around; msoheightrule: exactly;">10. Contains a chemical code or message which must be transcribed. || <span style="display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.75pt; mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly; text-align: center;"> ✔ ||   ||

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