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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?

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.

Genetic material of cells…

• GENES – units of genetic material that CODES FOR A SPECIFIC TRAIT

• Called NUCLEIC ACIDS

• DNA is made up of repeating molecules called NUCLEOTIDES

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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 the molecule is alternating phosphates and deoxyribose sugar

• The teeth are nitrogenousbases.

phosphate

deoxyribose

bases

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Nucleotides

C C

C

OPhosphate

O

O -P OO

O

O -P OO

O

O -P OO

O One deoxyribose together with its phosphate and base

make a nucleotide.

Nitrogenousbase

Deoxyribose

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One Strand of DNA

• One strand of DNA is a polymer of nucleotides.

• One strand of DNA has many millions of nucleotides.

nucleotide

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Four nitrogenous bases

• Cytosine C

• Thymine T

• Adenine A

• Guanine G

DNA has four different bases:

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Two Kinds of Bases in DNA

• Pyrimidines are single ring bases.

• Purines are double ring bases.

C

C

C

C

N

N

O

N

CC

CC

N

N

N

N

N

C

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Thymine and Cytosine are pyrimidines

• Thymine and cytosine each have one ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms.

C

C

C

C

N

N

O

N

cytosine

C

C

C

C

N

N

O

O

thymine

C

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Adenine and Guanine are purines

• Adenine and guanine each have two rings of carbon and nitrogen atoms.

C

C

C

C

N

N

N

Adenine N

N

C

C

C

C

C

N

N

O

N

Guanine N

N

C

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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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C

C

C

C

N

N

O

N

C

C

C

C

NN

O

N

N

N C

Hydrogen Bonds

• The bases attract each other because of hydrogen bonds.

• Hydrogen bonds are weak but there are millions and millions of them in a single molecule of DNA.

• The bonds between cytosine and guanine are shown here with dotted lines

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Hydrogen Bonds, cont.• When making hydrogen bonds, cytosine always pairs up with guanine

• Adenine always pairs up with thymine

• Adenine is bonded to thymine here

C

C

C

C

N

N

O

O

C

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Chargraff’s 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.

• DNA has a diameter of only 0.000000002 m.

The earth is 150 billion mor 93 million miles from the sun.

Genetic Diversity…• Different

arrangements of NUCLEOTIDES in a nucleic acid (DNA) provides the key to DIVERSITY among living organisms.

The Code of Life…

• The “code” of the chromosome is the SPECIFIC ORDER that bases occur.

A T C G T A T G C G G…

DNA is wrapped tightly around histones and coiled tightly to

form chromosomes

DNA Replication• DNA must be copied

• The DNA molecule produces 2 IDENTICAL new complementary strands following the rules of base pairing:

A-T, G-C

•Each strand of the original DNA serves as a template for the new strand

DNA Replication

• Semiconservative Model:

1. Watson and Crick showed: the two strands of the parental molecule separate, and each functions as a template for synthesis of a new complementary strand.

.Parental DNA

DNA Template

New DNA

(1961) Watson & Crick proposed…

• …DNA controlled cell function by serving as a template for PROTEINstructure.

• 3 Nucleotides = a triplet or CODON(which code for a specific AMINO

ACID)

• AMINO ACIDS are the building blocks of proteins.

DNA Transcription

• DNA can “unzip” itself and RNAnucleotides match up to the DNA strand.

• Both DNA & RNA are formed from NUCLEOTIDES and are called NUCLEIC acids.

See p.301

DNA Translation

• The cell uses information from “messenger” RNA to produce proteins

For more detail let see the movie….