DNA
DNA is an essential molecule for life. It acts like a recipe holding the instructions telling our bodies how to develop and function.
What does DNA stand for?
DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid.
What is DNA made of?
DNA is a long thin molecule made up of something called nucleotides.
There are four different types of nucleotides: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.
They are usually represented by their first letter: A- adenine T- thymine C - cytosine G - guanine
Holding the nucleotides together is a backbone made of phosphate and deoxyribose.
The nucleotides are sometimes referred to as "bases".
Interesting Facts about DNA
About 99.9 percent of the DNA of every person on the planet is exactly the same. It's that 0.1 percent that is different that makes us all unique.
The double helix structure of DNA was discovered by Dr. James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.
If you unraveled all the DNA molecules in your body and placed them end to end, it would stretch to the Sun and back several times.
DNA is organized into structures called chromosomes within the cell.
DNA was first isolated and identified by Swiss biologist Friedrich Meischer in 1869.
Genes
Within each string of DNA are sets of instructions called genes. A gene tells a cell how to make a specific protein. Proteins are used by the cell to perform certain functions, to grow, and to survive.
Read more at: http://www.ducksters.com/science/biology/dna.php
Activity:
You will need:
4 strands of pipe cleaner
4 different coloured straws
For the stand:
Cardboard
2 straws
Tape
Cut the straws into equal sized pieces, about an inch long.
Pair the staws together, keeping the pairs the same colours. E.g. pink is always paired with white and blue is paired with green.
Thread one pair onto the pipe cleaner. Cut the pipe cleaner leaving about half an inch either side of the straws.
Wrap the pipe cleaner with straw pairs around a long piece of pipe cleaner creating a ladder, alternating the pairs as you attach each strand.
To create a stand which will hold the double helix upright, cut two squares from the cardboard large enough to hold up your double helix and punch four holes in each corner. Two opposing holes need to be further apart for the two straws then the other opposing holes will be for the double helix pipe cleaners.
Feed the pipe cleaner double helix through, bend the ends and tape down.
Next feed the straws through, cut the ends, flatten and tape down.
Repeat this for the opposite end.
Complete - your very own double helix!
Video's:
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