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U2L6 DNA Structure and Function Notes

The document discusses the structure and function of DNA. It describes DNA as having a double helix structure and containing genetic information in the form of genes. The document also explains how DNA is replicated and how mutations can occur that change the DNA sequence.

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Afaq Ahmad
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23 views

U2L6 DNA Structure and Function Notes

The document discusses the structure and function of DNA. It describes DNA as having a double helix structure and containing genetic information in the form of genes. The document also explains how DNA is replicated and how mutations can occur that change the DNA sequence.

Uploaded by

Afaq Ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

Cracking the Code


What is DNA?

• The genetic material in cells is contained in a


molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA.

• Scientists describe DNA as containing a code. A


code is a set of rules and symbols used to carry
information.

• To understand how DNA functions, you first need


to learn about the structure of the DNA molecule.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

How was DNA discovered?

• Many scientists from all over the world contributed


to our understanding of DNA.

• Some scientists discovered the chemicals that


make up DNA, and others learned how these
chemicals fit together.

• Still others determined the three-dimensional


structure of the DNA molecule.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

Unraveling DNA
What does DNA look like?

• Experiments and imaging techniques have helped


scientists to infer the shape of DNA.

• The structure of DNA is a twisted ladder shape


called a double helix.

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Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What does DNA look like?

• The two sides of the ladder are made of sugars


and phosphate groups.

• The rungs of the ladder are made of pairs of bases.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What does DNA look like?

• A base, a sugar, and a phosphate group make a


building block of DNA called a nucleotide.

• There are four different nucleotides in DNA.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What does DNA look like?

• The bases in nucleotides are paired, or


complementary.

• Adenine always pairs with thymine (A-T).

• Cytosine always pairs with guanine (C-G).

• The order of the nucleotides in DNA is a code that


carries information.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What does DNA look like?

• Genes are segments of DNA that relate to a certain


trait.

• The code in the nucleotide order has information


about which proteins the cells should build.

• The types of proteins that your body makes help


determine your traits.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

Replication and Mutation


How are copies of DNA made?

• The cell makes copies of DNA molecules through a


process known as replication.

• During replication, the two strands of DNA


separate.

• The bases on each side of the molecule are used


as a pattern for a new strand.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

How are copies of DNA made?

• As bases on the original molecule are exposed,


complementary nucleotides are added.

• When replication is complete, there are two


identical DNA molecules.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

How are copies of DNA made?

• Describe what is happening in the diagram.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

When are copies of DNA made?

• Before a cell divides, it copies its DNA.

• Our cells can replicate DNA in just a few hours,


because replication begins in many places along a
DNA strand.

• Many groups of proteins are working to replicate


your DNA at the same time.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What are mutations?

• Mutations are changes in the number, type, or


order of bases on a piece of DNA.

• There are three main kinds of mutations:


deletions, insertions, and substitutions.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What are mutations?

• In a deletion mutation, a base is left out.

• In an insertion mutation, an extra base is added.

• The most common mutation, substitution, happens


when one base replaces another.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What are mutations?


• Which type of mutation is shown in each row? (The
first row is the original sequence.)

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What are mutations?

• Mutations can happen by random error, and also


by damage to the DNA molecule by physical or
chemical agents called mutagens.

• Cells make proteins that can fix errors in DNA, but


sometimes the mistake is not corrected.

• The mistake then becomes part of the genetic


code.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What are mutations?

• A genetic disorder results from mutations that


harm the normal function of the cell.

• Some genetic disorders are inherited, or passed on


from parent to offspring.

• Other disorders result from mutations during a


person’s lifetime. Most cancers fall in this category.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

Protein Factory
What is the role of DNA and RNA in
building proteins?
• Some of the information in the DNA is copied to a
separate molecule called RNA, or ribonucleic acid.

• RNA is used to build proteins.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What is the role of DNA and RNA in


building proteins?
• Like DNA, RNA has a sugar-phosphate backbone
and the bases adenine (A), guanine (G), and
cytosine (C).

• Instead of thymine (T), RNA contains uracil (U).

• Three types of RNA have special roles in making


proteins.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What is the role of DNA and RNA in


building proteins?
• When a cell needs to make a protein, it makes an
RNA copy of a section of the DNA. This is called
transcription.

• In transcription, DNA is used as a template to


make a complementary strand of messenger RNA
(mRNA).

• The information in the mRNA is then used to build


proteins. This is called translation.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What is the role of DNA and RNA in


building proteins?
• In translation, the mRNA passes through a protein
assembly line within a ribosome.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company


Unit 2 Lesson 6 DNA Structure and Function

What is the role of DNA and RNA in


building proteins?
• A ribosome is a cell organelle made of ribosomal
RNA (rRNA) and protein.

• As mRNA passes through, transfer RNA (tRNA)


delivers amino acids to the ribosomes.

• The order of the bases codes for which amino acid


is attached.

• The amino acids are joined together to form a


protein.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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