Notes for 7th grade obtained from Holt Science and Technology: Life Science. Austin: Holt Rinehart & Winston, 2007. Print.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1/ 18
Chapter 6 Section 1
List 3 important events that led to
understanding the structure of DNA
Describe the basic structure of a DNA
molecule
Explain how DNA molecules can be copied
Inherited characteristics are determined by genes… Genes are passed from generation to
generation… Genes are parts of chromosomes… Chromosomes are made of proteins & DNA… DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid DNA is the genetic material that determines
inherited characteristics Material that makes up genes can do 2 things… ◦ Give instructions for building & maintaining cells
◦ Must be able to be copied each time a cell divides –
each cell will contain identical genes
This could be done with complex molecules
(proteins) Nucleotides: consist of a sugar, a phosphate, & a base Nucleotides are identical except for the base
The 4 bases are:
◦ ADENINE ◦ THYMINE ◦ GUANINE ◦ CYTOSINE Each base has a different shape
Bases are referred to using their first letter
A – adenine T – thymine G – guanine C - cytosine http://www.freewebs.com/genetics37/4Nucleotides.JPG Erwin Chargaff (1950’s biochemist)
Discovered that the amount of adenine
always = the amount of thymine
The amount of guanine always = the amount
of cytosine
These rules helped scientists to better
understand the structure of DNA Rosalind Franklin (Britain) – made images of DNA molecules
Using X-ray diffraction to make the images
X-rays are aimed at the DNA molecule, the
pattern made by rays bouncing off is captured on film
Showed the spiral shape
http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lectures/x-ray-diffraction.gif Proposed that DNA structure was like a long twisted ladder
Their model perfectly fit Chargaff and
Franklin’s findings
The model helped to explain how DNA is
copied and functions in a cell http://www.nature.com/scitable/nated/content/24263/sadava_11_8_large_2.jpg The double ladder design is known as the double helix
2 sides of the ladder are made of alternating
sugar & phosphate parts
The rungs are made of a pair of bases
A pairs with T; G pairs with C
Pairing of bases allows the cell to replicate (make copies of) DNA
Each base always bonds with only one other
base (complementary bases)
Example: the sequence CGAC bonds to the
sequence GCTG During replication, a DNA molecule is split down the middle where the bases meet
Each side is used as a pattern for a new
strand
Complementary nucleotides are added to
each side of the ladder
2 DNA molecules are formed
http://library.thinkquest.org/C006188/basics/pictures/dna_replication.gif DNA is copied every time a cell divides
Each new cell gets a complete copy of all the
DNA
The job of unwinding, copying, and re-winding
the DNA is done by the proteins within the cell
Other proteins help to carry out instructions in
the code of the DNA Holt Science and Technology: Life Science. Austin: Holt Rinehart & Winston, 2007. Print.
