8

Biotechnology
Quarter 2 - Module 5
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
Biotechnology – Grade 8
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education - Region III

Secretary : Leonor M. Briones
Undersecretary : Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Author: Marion Rodrigo D. Mariñas III

Language Reviewer: Esperanza S. Nuñez, PhD
Content Editor: Belinda V. Fonbuena
Illustrator: Marion Rodrigo D. Mariñas III
Layout Artist: Marion Rodrigo D. Mariñas III

Management Team
Gregorio C. Quinto, Jr., EdD
Chief, Curriculum Implementation Division
Rainelda M. Blanco, PhD
Education Program Supervisor - LRMDS
Agnes R. Bernardo, PhD
EPS-Division ADM Coordinator
Marinella P. Garcia Sy, PhD
EPS – Science
Glenda S. Constantino
Project Development Officer II
Joannarie C. Gracia
Librarian II

Department of Education, Schools Division of Bulacan

Curriculum Implementation Division
Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS)
Capitol Compound, Guinhawa St., City of Malolos, Bulacan
Email address: lrmdsbulacan@deped.gov.ph
 8
Biotechnology
Quarter 2 - Module 5
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
 Introductory Message

For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Biotechnology STE 8 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators from
public institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator, in helping the learners meet the
standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and
economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent learning
activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help learners acquire
the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their needs and
circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the
module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that will
help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You also
need to keep track of the learners’ progress while allowing them to manage their own
learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as they do
the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the Biotechnology STE 8 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for guided
and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to process the
contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

This will give you an idea of the skills or

What I Need to Know competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

This part includes an activity that aims to check

what you already know about the lesson to take. If
What I Know
you get all the answers correct (100%), you may
decide to skip this module.

1
 This is a brief drill or review to help you link the
What’s In
current lesson with the previous one.

In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced to

What’s New you in various ways; a story, a song, a poem, a
problem opener, an activity or a situation.
This section provides a brief discussion of the
What is It lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.
This comprises activities for independent practice to
solidify your understanding and skills of the topic.
What’s More
You may check the answers to the exercises using
the Answer Key at the end of the module.
This includes questions or blank sentence/
What I Have Learned paragraph to be filled in to process what you learned
from the lesson.
This section provides an activity which will help you
What Can I Do transfer your new knowledge or skill into real life
situations or concerns.

This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of

Assessment
mastery in achieving the learning competency.

In this portion, another activity will be given to you to

Additional Activities
enrich your knowledge or skill of the lesson learned.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References - This is a list of all sources used in developing this module.
The following are some reminders in using this module:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to
consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain deep
understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

2
 What I Need to Know

This module encourages you to be familiar with the structure and the vital role
of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the genetic material in the transmission of
hereditary traits. Various activities such as experiments are provided for you to
perform to strengthen your knowledge and skills regarding the topic.
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. identify the results of the different experiments that led to the discovery of the
role and structure of DNA;
2. describe the structure of the nucleic acid;
3. perform a simple DNA extraction method using household materials.;
4. describe how DNA is packed inside the nucleus in the form of chromosome;
and,
5. appreciate the role of the DNA in the transmission of hereditary traits.

What I Know

Part I. Matching Type

Direction: You must complete the sentences listed under COLUMN A by finding its
missing part in COLUMN B. Write the CAPITAL LETTER of your answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a double
1 A and a nitrogenous base.
helix structure

Nucleotide is composed of
2 B are two-ringed nitrogenous base.
phosphate-sugar backbone

3 Cytosine, a nitrogenous base C composed of series of nucleotide.

4 Purine such as adenine and guanine D is always paired with adenine.

contains the set of codes for protein

5 The deoxyribonucleic acid E
production.

F is always paired with guanine.

3
Part II. Multiple Choice
Direction: Complete each sentence by identifying the correct word inside the
parentheses. Write your answer on another sheet paper.

1. The experiment of (F. Griffith, Hershey-Chase, F. Miescher) on Streptococcus

bacteria had led to the discovery that bacteria store genetic information in DNA.

2. Nucleic acid is an example of a/an (storage, informational, structural) macromolecule

since they carry set of codes for protein production.

3. Majority of the DNA in a cell is found in the (mitochondria, chloroplast, nucleus).

4. Ribonucleic acid or RNA is a single stranded nucleic acid mainly composed of nucleotide
with (ribose, deoxyribose, maltose) sugar.

5. The backbone of the nucleic acid is mainly composed of sequence of (base pairs,
phosphate, hydrogen bond) and sugar molecules.

6. (Adenine, Guanine, Thymine), cytosine, and uracil are one-ringed pyrimidines.

7. Analysis on the number of nitrogenous bases in DNA by (F. Crick, E. Chargaff, R.

Franklin) led to the discovery of the complementary base pairing of these bases.

8. Cytosine is always paired with (adenine, thymine, guanine).

9. Proteins called (histone, keratin, myosin) is used to pack the long strands of DNA
inside the nucleus of the cell.

10. The two strands of DNA are held together by (covalent bonds, ionic bonds,

What’s In

Direction: Let us help Juan and Maria, two Grade 8 diligent STE students, who are
diligently preparing for a long test about cells. Identify the student who is
telling the correct statement. On another sheet of paper, write A if Juan is
telling the correct statement and B if it is Maria.

JUAN’ STATEMENT MARIA’S STATEMENT

Nucleus is the control center of the Mitochondrion is the site of
1
cell. photosynthesis.
Golgi bodies packs the proteins Vacuole stores the proteins which the
2
produced by the ER. Golgi bodies produce.
Smooth ER contains chlorophyll for
3 Rough ER is the site of protein production
photosynthesis
Lysosome produces lipids that are
4 Vacuole stores processed cellular material
stored in the vacuole.
Ribosome is an organelle since it is Plasma membrane controls the entry and
5
enclosed by a membrane. exit of cellular materials.

4
 What’s New

Are you familiar with the Morse Code? Morse code is a method used in the
telecommunication industry such as aviation, military, broadcasting, and disaster response.
It is used to translate text as a standard sequences of two different signals represented as
dots ()and dashes (▬). It was named after Samuel Morse, the inventor of the telegraph.
The list below shows the Morse code for each letter of the English alphabet.

INTERNATIONAL F ●● M ▬▬ T ▬
MORSE CODE G ▬▬● N ▬● U ●●▬
A ●▬ H ●●●● O ▬▬▬ V ●●●▬
B ▬●●● I ●● P ●▬▬● W ●▬▬
C ▬●▬● J ●▬▬▬ Q ▬▬●▬ X ▬●▬●
D ▬●● K ▬●▬ R ●▬● Y ▬●▬▬
E ● L ●▬●● S ●●● Z ▬▬●●

So for example the word SCIENCE can be transmitted through a telegraph by the
following symbol.
S C I E N C E
●●● / ▬●▬● / ●● / ● / ▬● / ▬●▬● /●

Let us see if you can decode the given message written in Morse Code. Try to
decode the message by creating a sentence out of it. What do you think the message is all
about?
1. ▬●●/▬●/●▬
2. ▬●▬●/▬▬▬/▬●/▬/●▬/●●/▬●
3. ▬●▬●/▬▬▬/▬●●/●/ ●●●
4. ●▬▬●/●▬●/▬▬▬/▬/●/●●/▬●
5. ●▬▬●/●▬●/▬▬▬/▬●●/●●▬/▬●▬●/▬/●●/▬▬▬/▬●

Just like the message encoded in the Morse Code, cells have deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) that carries set of codes that serves as instruction to produce proteins. DNA also
serves as the substance of inheritance. It is the genetic material that transmits hereditary
traits from the parent to its offspring. With that in mind, are you ready now to explore the
structure and function of the DNA.

Notes to the Teacher

In this module, the activities are arranged from simple to complex to support the
learners mastery of the learning competency. It is important to guide the students as
the lesson progresses to prepare them in accomplishing the tasks and set of
activities to structure and role of DNA in the transmission of traits

5
 What is It

Experiments leading to the Discovery of the

Nature of Genetic Material
The nature, role, and structure of the DNA as we know today is the product of series
of experiments conducted through the years. It all started with the experiment of Gregor
Mendel in early 1860s (see Figure 1). From his experiment using pea plants (Pisum
sativum), he observed that certain trait of the parent plant is being transmitted to the
offspring plant (see Figure 2). He later concluded that the characteristics are being directed
by distinct units of inheritance in which he then called factors. Today, we call these factors
as genes.

25% 50% 25%

Figure 1. Gregor Mendel and Figure 2. Transmission of traits in pea plants
his pea plants

In 1869, Friedrich Miescher (see Figure 3) discovered the first evidence of

deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA in which he called it nuclein. It was later realized that the
nuclein he obtained from white blood cells collected from pus and from salmon sperm cell
contains a crude sample of DNA and proteins.
Together with the rediscovery of Mendel’s work in 1900s, the nature of these “factors”
and “nuclein” will become the focus of numerous experiments. Three leading experiments
in the early 21st century confirms that the DNA functions as the genetic material.

Figure 3. Friedrich Miescher Figure 4. Frederick Griffith

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 In 1928, Frederick Griffith conducted an experiment on the process of bacterial
transformation using two strains (R and S strains) of Streptococcus pneumoniae. From
his experiment, it was revealed that the genetic material of bacteria is DNA. Let us study
the diagram below (refer to Figure 5) that shows the bacterial transformation in
Streptococcus pneumoniae. Answer the guide questions that follows.

A B C D
mixture of
R strain S strain heat-killed heat-killed
S strain S strain &
R strain

mouse lives mouse dies mouse lives mouse dies

Figure 5. Griffith’s Experiment on Bacterial Transformation

If you have noticed, something happened in setup D that makes the non-pathogenic
R strain to cause the disease. Griffith thought that there is an unknown substance from the
heat-killed S cells that was incorporated in the non-pathogenic R strain. This process
makes the R strain pathogenic. He called this phenomenon transformation. It was the
experiment of Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty that confirmed that
the DNA is the transforming substance in the Griffith’s experiment.

GUIDE QUESTION no. 1

Why did the mouse on setup D did not survive even though it was injected with the non
-pathogenic R strain? What is your possible reason behind this observation?

The first two experiments faced an ongoing debate whether DNA or protein is the
genetic material. During their time, many scientists believe that protein is the genetic
material of the cell. It was the experiment of Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase in 1952
that prove that DNA functions as the genetic material (see Figure 6).

nucleic acid

protein coat

sheath

tail fibers

Figure 6. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase Figure 7. T2 bacteriophage

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 In their experiment, radioactive sulfur and phosphorus were used to trace the fates of
protein and DNA in a bacteria-infecting virus called T2 bacteriophage (see Figure 7).
Viruses are used in their experiment since they are composed of proteins and DNA. It is
known that viruses reproduced by injecting its DNA or RNA into its host cell and taking over
the cellular processes.

A
Phage with
radioactive
protein coat
radioactivity
outside the cell

T2 B
Phage with radioactivity
Bacteriophage radioactive inside the cell
DNA

Figure 8. Hershey-Chase Experiment

In their setup shown in Figure 8, radioactive sulfur attaches to the viral protein coat
while radioactive phosphorus attaches to the viral DNA. The Hershey-Chase experiment
confirms that viral DNA entered the cell, and not proteins. The viral DNA can program the
host cell by manipulating its DNA. This proves that the nucleic acid and not the protein,
functions as the genetic material of bacteriophages. The following discoveries after these
experiments are now geared to the identification of the structure of the nucleic acid.

GUIDE QUESTION no. 2

Why is there no radioactivity detected outside the bacterial culture infected with phages
that have radioactive DNA?

Nucleic Acid

In a cell, nucleic acid can either be in the form of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). These are both informational macromolecules since they
carry set of codes for protein production. DNA and RNA are both polymers. Polymers are
long chain molecules composed of building blocks or monomers. The monomer of a
nucleic acid is called a nucleotide. A nucleotide is mainly composed of a 5-carbon sugar,
a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.
In this section of the module, you will be comparing the structure of DNA and RNA.
RNA nucleotide contains a ribose sugar while DNA has deoxyribose. Using Figure 9,
determine the main difference between the sugar of RNA and DNA.

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 HO CH2 OH
phosphodiester bond O
HC CH
base ribose
RNA
5’C HC CH
P OH OH

4’C 1’C
sugar HO CH2 OH
O
HC CH
phosphate 3’C 2’C deoxyribose
HC CH2
DNA

nucleotide OH

Figure 9. Parts of a nucleotide

GUIDE QUESTION no. 3

What is the main difference between the ribose of RNA and deoxyribose of DNA?

As you have noticed in Figure 9, the phosphate group is attached to sugar through a
phosphodiester bond. This sugar molecule together with the phosphate group forms the
backbone of the DNA and RNA. Now, let us take a closer look on which carbon of the
sugar molecule does the phosphate group is attached to. Being familiar with these
attachment sites are important to the various processes involving the DNA which will be
discussed on the next module. The figure below (refer to Figure 10) shows a segment of a
nucleic acid. Let us locate where each of the phosphate group is attached to.

Figure 10. Sugar-phosphate backbone

GUIDE QUESTION no. 4

Do you see any pattern on how phosphate groups are attached to the sugar in the
backbone?

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 Another component of a nucleotide are the nitrogenous bases (see Figure 11). Both
the RNA and DNA contain these nitrogenous bases. They are attached to the 1’C of the
sugar for both DNA and RNA. Nitrogenous bases are nitrogen-containing organic
molecules that bond the nucleic acid together. There are two types of nitrogenous bases:
the purines and the pyrimidines. The main difference between purines and pyrimidines is
the number of rings in each molecule.

GUIDE QUESTION no. 5

How many rings does purine and pyrimidine bases have?

purines pyrimidines
O NH2 NH2 O O

N N H3C
NH N N NH NH
G A C T U
NH N NH2 NH N NH O NH O NH O
guanine adenine cytosine thymine uracil
(DNA and RNA) (DNA and RNA) (DNA and RNA) (DNA and RNA) (RNA only)

Figure 11. Nitrogenous Bases in DNA and RNA

GUIDE QUESTION no. 6

What are the purine bases? What are the pyrimidine bases?

The order of sequence of these bases in a nucleic acid forms a genetic code that
determines the type of protein that will be produced in the process called protein synthesis.
Lastly, you must be familiar that both the DNA and RNA form a linear polymer or
strand. The number of strands in each nucleic acid sets the two nucleic acid apart. DNA
has two strands while RNA has only one strand. Both of these strands are composed of
alternating sugar phosphate backbone.
Learning the parts of a nucleotide will become very useful as you study the structure
and properties of the DNA.

Structure and Properties of the DNA

The structure of the DNA as we now know today is the result of various
experimentations, analyses, and modelling. Several scientists have devoted their scientific
work in discovering the structure of the DNA and how its structure affects its role inside the
cell.
In the 1950, a scientist named Erwin Chargaff believed that the sequence of
nucleotides in a DNA is important to its role (see Figure 12). With that in mind, he started
analyzing the base composition of different organisms. Base composition refers to the
number of each bases in a DNA sample. The table below (Table 1) shows the base
composition of some of the organisms he investigated.

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 Table 1
Base Content of DNA from a variety of Organisms
Adenine to Thymine to Adenine to Guanine to Purine to
Source
Guanine Cytosine Thymine Cytosine Pyrimidines
Ox 1.29 1.43 1.04 1.00 1.10
Human 1.56 1.75 1.00 1.00 1.00
Hen 1.45 1.29 1.06 0.91 0.99
Salmon 1.43 1.43 1.02 1.02 1.02
Wheat 1.22 1.18 1.00 0.97 0.99
Yeast 1.17 1.92 1.03 1.20 1.00
Hemophilus influenzae 1.75 1.54 1.07 0.91 1.00
E-coli K2 1.05 0.95 1.09 0.99 1.00
Avian tubercle bacillus 0.40 0.40 1.09 1.08 1.10
Serratia marcescens 0.70 0.07 0.95 0.86 0.90
Bacillus schatz 0.70 0.60 1.12 0.89 1.00
Figure 12. Erwin Chargaff
Source: After E. Chargaff et al., J. Biol. Chem. 177 (1949)

Initially, Chargaff believed that the each base will have the same 1:1:1:1 ratio but the
result of his experiment revealed a different ratio. From his analysis, he found out that the
number of adenine is almost equal to thymine while cytosine is almost equal to guanine.
This gave him the idea that a purine is always paired with a pyrimidine. This concept
is now known as the Chargaff’s rule. The rule shows the complementary base pairing
adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine. Figure 13 shows how each purine-pyrimidine
pairing is held by a hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen bond is formed between hydrogen and an
electronegative atom like oxygen, nitrogen, and fluorine.

3’ 5’

5’ 3’
Figure 13. Complementary Base Pairing

GUIDE QUESTION no. 7

How many hydrogen bonds are formed between the pairing of A to T and C to G?

The complementary base pairing can be helpful in identifying the complementary

strand of a given DNA strand, for example:

DNA strand 1: TAGACTGACT

DNA strand 2: AT CTGACTGA

GUIDE QUESTION no. 8

Try this! What is the complementary strand of the following DNA strands:
[1] A C T C G A C A T; [2] G T C G G T A A C; [3] T G A C C T G A T?

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 After Chargaff’s work, several scientists tried to discover the 3-dimensional structure
of the nucleic acid. The search for the answer started with the work of Rosalind Franklin
and Maurice Wilkins during the 1950s (see Figure 14). Franklin analyzed X-ray diffraction
data produced from a technique called X-ray crystallography, as shown in Figure 16.
This technique is used to determine the 3D structure of a crystal form of any substance.
Using the photographic plate (Photograph 51), she later found out that DNA is a double
helix structure. A double helix is a 3D structure that looks like a twisted ladder.

Figure 14. Rosalind Franklin and her Figure 15. James Watson and Francis Crick
Photograph 51
20 Å
This result of Franklin’s work served as the
foundation for the development of the 3D structure of
5’ 3’
DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick (see
Figure 15). The X-ray diffraction data from Franklin’s
3.4 Å
work provides the missing piece on the 3D model that
Watson and Crick is working on. Watson and Crick’s
DNA model is composed of two sugar-phosphate
backbone with the nitrogenous bases as the “rung” or
steps of the helical ladder. Unfortunately, the
discovery of the 3D model of DNA become shrouded
with controversy as Watson, Crick and Wilkins won
the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 without having a minor 34 Å
single credit for the work of Franklin who died 1958. groove

crystal X-ray diff raction results

sample
X-ray
source major
groove

3’ 5’
digital detector Note: 1 Å = 1 x 10-10 meters

Figure 16. X-ray crystallography Figure 17. DNA molecule

The helical structure of the DNA produces some features such as grooves, as seen
in Figure 17. The DNA has two grooves, namely: the major and the minor groove. They
serve as the attachment sites of proteins during processes involving the DNA such as DNA
replication and protein synthesis.

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 As you noticed, the two DNA strands are composed of a backbone made up
alternating sugars and phosphate groups. You will observe in Figure 18 that one of the
strand (strand 1) is running to a 5’ → 3’ direction. It means that the first phosphate group
(P-1) is attached to carbon no. 5 of the first sugar (S-1) while the next phosphate (P-2) is
attached to carbon no. 3 of the same sugar (S-1). This pattern is evident all throughout that
strand 1. strand 1

strand 2
Figure 18. Orientation of DNA strands

GUIDE QUESTION no. 9

How is the directionality presented from the two DNA strand.

The opposite happens on (strand 2), the first phosphate (P-3) is attached to carbon
no. 3 of the first sugar (S-3) while the next phosphate (P-4)s attached to the carbon no. 5 of
the same sugar (S-3). Using that observation, we can say that DNA strands has
directionality. This orientation where one strand is running the opposite direction compared
to the other strand is called an antiparallel orientation. Knowing this orientation would be
very helpful once you study the processes involving the DNA such as DNA replication.

Chromosome Structure

Each cell in your body contains DNA. This molecule contains section with a specific
sequence of nucleotides called genes. These are the units of hereditary information in the
DNA which are being transmitted by the parents to its offspring.
Genes are particularly important since they contain all the instruction to code for
proteins needed to perform various cellular processes. The order of sequence of these
nucleotide forms a genetic code that determines the type protein that will be produced in
the process called protein synthesis. This is the concept of the Central Dogma of Molecular
Biology (refer to Figure 19).

Replication Transcription Translation

(DNA → DNA) (DNA → RNA) (RNA → proteins)

DNA RNA proteins

Figure 19. Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

13
 Most of the cellular DNA is stored inside the nucleus. Based on what you have
learned earlier, the DNA is a linear polymer. It is a polymer consisting of at least 3 billion
nucleotides. Based on your answer for the guide question, how can that exceptionally long
DNA molecule fits inside the nucleus of a cell?

GUIDE QUESTION no. 10

If the average length of a human nucleotide is 0.6 nanometers or 6.0 x 1010 meters,
how long (in meters) is the DNA per cell?

The answer lies with the multi-level packing system that involves coiling, folding
and lots of proteins called histones (see Figure 20). This packing system is important so
that the cell can protect the genetic information stored in the DNA. This genetic information
in the DNA is vulnerable to changes most especially during cell division.
locus

p arm

centromere

q arm

A B C D E
Figure 20. DNA Multi-level Packing System [A] DNA; [B] Nucleosome; [C] Solenoid fiber;
[D] Looped domains; and [E] Chromosome (duplicated; metaphase stage)

If you still recall the module about cell division, the DNA is extended into long thin
strands called chromatin when the cell is not dividing. But during cell division, the long
chromatin strands start to condense or thicken forming a chromosome.
Chromosomes are discovered in 1842 by C. von Nägeli by using special stains or
coloring agents that make them appear to have colored bands. These colored bands gave
him the idea to call them chromosome which means “colored body”. These colored bands
are the specific location or locus of different genes.
Chromosomes are highly visible during the metaphase stage of the mitosis where
they align at the metaphase plate. Metaphase chromosomes are basically composed of
arms (a long arm and a short arm) attached to a centromere. During metaphase, all the
DNA inside the cells condenses into 23 pairs of chromosomes. Twenty-two pairs are called
somatic chromosomes while the remaining pair is called the sex chromosome. This
chromosome determines the sex of the offspring.
Changes in the number, appearance, and location of loci in a chromosome can lead
to various disorders and diseases which will be tackled in the following modules.

14
 What’s More
Match Me Twice
Independent Activity 1
Direction: In this activity, you are going to match the scientists listed in COLUMN A with
the processes or tools they used in their experiments listed in COLUMN B.
Write the CAPITAL LETTER of your answer in the box labeled as “a”.
Afterwards, match Column A with the results or findings listed in COLUMN C.
Write the NUMBER of your answer in the box labeled as “b”. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

COLUMN A COLUMN B COLUMN C

Scientist / Researcher Process and Tools Results / Findings

Frederick Griffith and Radioactive

X-ray diffraction
Avery-MacLeod- photograph shows
tracing of DNA
McCarthy A and proteins using 1 the double helix
structure of the
1a. _____ 1b. _____ T2 bacteriophage
DNA

It shows the
Alfred Hershey and Analysis of X-ray
Marth Chase complementary
diffraction photos
B to confirm the 3D 2 base pairing of
nitrogenous bases
2a. _____ 2b. _____ DNA structure
in DNA

Bacterial A model of DNA

Erwin Chargaff transformation structure explains
C using 2 strains of 3 how it replicates
Streptococcus and stores genetic
3a. _____ 3b. _____ pneumoniae information.

Accounting ratios DNA is the

Rosalind Franklin of the nitrogenous “transforming”
D bases collected 4 substance in
from various bacterial
4a. _____ 4b. _____ organisms transformation.

It is the DNA, not

James Watson and
Francis Crick the protein,
X-ray
E crystallography 5 function as the
genetic material in
5a. _____ 5b. _____ bacteriophage.

15
 Where did I go wrong?
Independent Assessment 1
Direction: Read the following paragraph below. Identify the sentence that makes the
information in the paragraph incorrect. Write the CAPITAL letter of your
answer on another sheet of paper.

1. Frederick Griffith
[A] Frederick Griffith studies two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae: the
pathogenic R strain and nonpathogenic S strain. [B] To test for trait of pathogenicity,
he injected mice with the two strains. [C] Living R and heat-killed S strain does not
affect the mouse. [D] Meanwhile living S cells and mixture of heat-killed S cells and R
cells killed the mouse. [E] The result of this experiment has led to the identification of
DNA as the transforming substance in bacterial transformation.

2. Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase

[A] In this Hershey-Chase experiment, a bacteria-infecting virus called bacteriophage

was used. [B] They devised an experiment where they use radioactive sulfur and
phosphorus to trace the fates of protein and DNA. [C] Radioactive sulfur attached to
the DNA while radioactive phosphorus to proteins. [D] After processing, it was
confirmed that the DNA and not the protein, functions as the genetic material in
bacteriophage.

3. Erwin Chargaff
[A] The DNA is a polymer of nucleotides consisting of nitrogenous bases, deoxyribose
and phosphate group. [B] The four nitrogenous bases in DNA can be adenine (A),
thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G). [C] Erwin Chargaff analyzed the base
composition of DNA from different organisms. [D] He findings determine the
complementary base pairing in which A is always paired with G and C to T.

4. Rosalind Franklin

[A] Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray diffraction studies revealed the structure of DNA. [B] The
result from her experiments were used by James Watson and Francis Crick to build a
model that explained the structure of DNA. [C] From their model, DNA was found out
to be a single chain helix structure, [D] where the phosphate-sugar forms the
backbone and the bases creating the rungs of the structure.

5. James Watson and Francis Crick

[A] Franklin’s results showed that the DNA has a double helix structure that looks like
a twisted ladder. [B] Franklin’s work served as the basis for the model of the 2D
structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick. [C] In their model, the sugar
and phosphates make up the backbone of the DNA while the nitrogenous bases form
the rungs of the ladder. [D] The two strands are held by hydrogen bonds formed
between the complementary base pairs.

16
 Do you know me?
Independent Activity 2

Direction: This activity will test your familiarity with the different components and features
of the DNA structure. The first column tells you about the features of the DNA
in which you will identify the structure from the choice. Write the CAPITAL
LETTER of your answer on another sheet of paper.

Components and
Features of DNA CHOICES
Structure

1. Double Helix
Structure

A B C D

3’ 5’ 5’ 5’ 3’ 5’ 5’ 5’

2. Antiparallel
Orientation
3’ 5’ 3’ 3’ 5’ 3’ 3’ 3’
A B C D

3. Nucleotide
S = sugar
B = base
P = phosphate
A B C D

4. DNA Backbone
S = sugar
B = base
P = phosphate
A B C D

A=T A≡ T A≡ G A=C
5. Nitrogenous
Base Pairing G≡C G=C C=T T=G
A B C D

17
 Build Me Up
Independent Assessment 2
Direction: Complete the graphic organizer below by filling in with the correct term(s)
about structure of the deoxyribonucleic acid. Write your answer on another
sheet of paper.

nucleic acid

can either be
double-stranded single-stranded

1. ______________ 2. ______________

monomer is called

structure is called

3. ______________ 4. ______________

is composed of

5. ______________ 6. ______________ 7. ______________

in DNA
forms the either be

8. ______________ have two have one

rings ring

9. ______________ 10. ______________

The Perfect Match

Independent Activity 3
Direction: In this activity you will try to identify the correct base pairing of the given DNA
strand. Always remember that adenine is always paired with thymine and
cytosine with guanine. The first item is already done to serve as an example.

5’ – T A G C C A T T G – 3’ 3’ – T A A G C A A C T – 5’
1 2
3’ – A T C G G T A A C – 5’ 5’ – _______________ – 3’

18
 3’ – T G A C A A T T G – 5’ 3’ – _______________ – 5’
3 5
5’ – _______________ – 3’ 5’ – T T T A A G C A T – 3’

3’ – _______________ – 5’ 3’ – T A T G C A A A C – 5’
4 6
5’ – G C T A G T A A C – 3’ 5’ – _______________ – 3’

Mix and Match

Independent Assessment 3
Direction: Now that you are familiar with the complementary base pairs, you are now
ready for a more challenging activity. In this activity, you must complete the
DNA segment by choosing your answer inside the box. Write only the
CAPITAL LETTER of your answer.

3’ T TG 1. ____ GTG 2. ____ CGG 5’

DNA 1
5’ 3. ____ TGA 4. ____ AAC 5. ____ 3’

5’ 6. ____ CGC 7. ____ GCA 8. ____ 3’

DNA 2
3’ GGA 9. ____ TAT 10. ___ GGG 5’

3’ AAA 11. ___ GTT 12. ___ GAA 5’

DNA 3
5’ 13. ___ CTA 14. ___ CAT 15. ___ 3’

[A] A A C [B] A C T [C] A T A

[D] C A A [E] C A C [F] C C C
[G] C C T [H] C G T [I] C T T
[J] G A T [K] G C C [L] G C G
[M] G G C [N] G T A [O] T A C
[P] T A G [Q] T T G [R] T T T

19
 What I Have Learned

Direction: Complete the paragraph below by filling in the correct word. Choose the
CAPITAL LETTER of the correct answer from the box below.

Nature, Role, and Structure of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid

The nature, role, and structure of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as we

know today is the product of series of experiments and discoveries conducted
through the years. In Mendel’s experiment on 1. _________ , he observed that
certain trait of the parent plant is being transmitted to the offspring plant. This
transmission carried out units of inheritance we now call as 2. _________.

The discovery on the true nature of genetic material was continued by the
discovery of first evidence of DNA by 3. _________. The vital role of DNA in the
transmission of traits were later confirmed from the experiment of 4. _________,
Avery-MacLeod-McCarty, and Hershey-Chase experiments.

Nucleic acid can either be in the form of single-stranded RNA or a double-

stranded DNA. They are both considered 5. _________ macromolecules since
they carry set of codes for 6. _________ production. Both types of nucleic acid
are composed of a monomer called 7. _________. Each of this monomer is com-
posed of a nitrogenous bases, sugar and 8. _________ group. The nitrogenous
base can be grouped into two: purines and 9. _________. Adenine and guanine
are example of purines while cytosine, thymine and 10. _________ are example
of the latter. Based on rule formulated by 11. _________, adenine is always
paired with thymine and cytosine to guanine.

Aside from that, experiments revealed that the two strands of DNA are held
by 12. _________ bonds and runs 13. _________ to each other. It means that
one strand has 3’ → 5’ orientation while the other one has 5’→3’ orientation. X-
ray diffraction data produced from crystallography were analyzed by 14.
_________ later revealed the double helix structure of the DNA. This was sup-
ported by the 3D model produced by J. Watson and 15. _________.

CHOICES
A. antiparallel B. carbohydrates C. chromosomes D. covalent
E. E. Chargaff F. F. Crick G. F. Griffith H. F. Miescher
I. genes J. hydrogen K. informational L. lipids
M. nucleotide N. pea plants O. phosphate P. protein
Q. pyrimidines R. R. Franklin S. semiconservative T. uracil

20
 What I Can Do

DNA EXTRACTION

OBJECTIVE

In this activity, you will extract DNA from plant material through a simple extraction method
using common household materials.

MATERIALS NEEDED

banana / ripe papaya isopropyl alcohol dishwashing liquid

table salt Ziplock bag strainer
water plastic cups rags

PROCEDURE

1. Create the “extraction mixture” by mixing 6

tablespoons. water and 1 tablespoon dishwashing Chill your
liquid in a cup. TAKE alcohol before
2. Stir the solution without creating too much bubbles NOTE doing this
then add 1/4 teaspoon. salt to the mixture. experiment.
3. Place one slice of banana (one inch thick) inside the
bag. Pour the “extraction mixture” into the ziplock
bag.
4. Remove as much air from the bag and seal it
closed.
5. Using your hands, mash completely the fruit inside Clean your
the bag. TAKE workplace after
6. Pour the mashed banana together with the NOTE doing the
extraction mixture through a strainer. Collect the experiment.
material into a plastic cup.
7. Add the ice-cold isopropyl alcohol until it creates a
one-inch thick layer. At this moment, the DNA will
separate as a white mass.
8. Collect the DNA using a stick and preserve it in a
cup with alcohol. Observe the collected DNA.

GUIDE QUESTION no. 11

What is the use of the following component of the extraction mixture?
A. salt B. dishwashing liquid C. chilled alcohol

GUIDE QUESTION no. 12

What is the appearance of the DNA extracted from plant material?

21
 Assessment

Direction: Read each question carefully then choose the letter of the correct answer.
Write the CAPITAL LETTER of your answer on another sheet of paper.

1. What is the significance of the Hershey-Chase experiment on the discovery of

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as the genetic material of cells?
A. It helps us identify the correct pairings of the nitrogenous bases in the DNA.
B. It strengthens the concept that proteins are the genetic material inside the cell.
C. It gives us the idea that all organisms, including viruses, contains DNA as the genetic
material.
D. It provides us with the idea that the genetic material is composed of nucleic acid and
not proteins.

2. Why does nucleic acid describe as an informational macromolecule?

A. DNA carries the set of codes needed for protein production.
B. DNA creates the framework for all the structures inside the cell.
C. DNA contains the code for the reproductive cycles in a living cell.
D. DNA contains the extra copy of genetic material that can be shared to other
organisms.

3. Which of the following organelle does not contain its own DNA?
A. chloroplast
B. mitochondrion
C. nucleus
D. vacuole

4. Which of the following best describes the structure of DNA?

A. single strand uncoiled structure with phosphate-base backbone
B. single stranded helical structure with complementary base pairings
C. double stranded helical structure with complementary base pairings
D. double stranded uncoiled structure with sugar-phosphate backbone

5. What is the main difference between the ribose in RNA and deoxyribose in DNA?
A. Ribose is more stable than the deoxyribose.
B. Ribose is a 5-carbon sugar while deoxyribose is a 6-carbon sugar.
C. Ribose has a two OH groups in two of its carbon while deoxyribose has only one.
D. Ribose has a carboxyl group in one of its carbon while deoxyribose has carbonyl
group.

6. What bond holds the sugar-phosphate backbone in a nucleic acid?

A. ionic bond
B. phosphate bond
C. phosphodiester bond
D. van der Waals attraction

22
7. What is the other component of a nucleotide aside from the sugar-phosphate backbone?
A. hydrogen bond
B. nitrogenous bases
C. phosphodiester bond
D. polypeptides

8. Which of the following nitrogenous bases is not found in deoxyribonucleic acid?

A. adenine (A)
B. guanine (G)
C. thymine (T)
D. uracil (U)

9. How many rings does the pyrimidine molecule have?

A. one (1)
B. two (2)
C. three (3)
D. four(4)

10. What is the significance of the discovery of E. Chargaff in the DNA structure?
A. Chargaff’s discovery led to the idea that DNA is a double helix structure.
B. He concluded that adenine is paired with cytosine and guanine with thymine.
C. His discovery gives us the complementary base pairing of the nitrogenous base pairs
in DNA.
D. He found out that the sugar-phosphate backbone is found in the core of the DNA
molecule.

11. What nitrogenous base is always paired with adenine?

A. cytosine (C)
B. guanine (G)
C. thymine (T)
D. uracil (U)

12. Which of the following is the complementary base pair of the following DNA sequence?

3’ – A G T G G T A T C – 5’

A. 3’ – T C A C C A T A G – 5’
B. 5’ – T A C C G A A A G – 3’
C. 3’ – T A C C G A A A G – 5’
D. 5’ – T C A C C A T A G – 3’

13. At what phase in the mitosis does the DNA is tightly packed into chromosomes?
A. anaphase
B. metaphase
C. prophase
D. telophase

23
14. Which of the following best describes the role of DNA in transmission of traits?
A. It carries set of codes for protein production.
B. It transfers the chromosome of the parent to its offspring.
B. It provides structural framework for the normal functioning of the cell.
D. It carries hereditary traits to be transmitted from the parent to the offspring.

15. Why is the DNA molecule essential to cellular processes?

A. DNA is necessary for both types of reproduction.
B. DNA produces the proteins needed for bodily processes.
C. DNA is transferred from the parent to the offspring.
D. DNA contains set of codes needed for protein production.

Additional Activities

DNA Modelling

OBJECTIVE

To create a DNA model using recyclable, indigenous or household materials.

MATERIALS NEEDED

colored paper / cartolina (2 colors) scissors toothpick / walis tingting

glue/ paste marker

PROCEDURE

1. Cut two strips of colored paper (any color) with

the following dimensions:
TAKE Use the
Width: 1 inch Length: 24 inches scissors /cutter
2. Mark 1-inch sections on each colored paper NOTE with care.
strip.
3. Cut colored paper squares with the following
dimensions:
Width: 1 inch Length: 1 inch
4. Paste the colored paper squares alternately on the two strips of paper. This will mark the
location of sugar and phosphate group.
5. Use toothpicks, used barbecue sticks or “walis tingting” as the nitrogenous bases.
6. Poke each toothpick into the center of the squares assigned as sugars.
7. Repeat this step until all the “sugar-squares” have bases.

24
8. You may add labels for each of the parts of the DNA through the use of coloring or art
materials. It is highly encouraged that you used recyclable materials or indigenous
materials (see Figure 21).

Figure 21. Sample DNA Model

9. Please be guided with the scoring rubrics below.

Table 2

Scoring Rubric for the DNA Model

Criteria 5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point

Creativity
(The output ...all parts of ... most ... some ... selected ... very few
showcases the DNA parts of the parts of the parts of the parts of the
elements of model. DNA model. DNA model. DNA model. DNA model.
creativity in…)

Resourcefulness
(The output uses ...all parts of most parts ... some ... selected ... very few
recyclable or the DNA of the parts of the parts of the parts of the
localized materials model. model. DNA model. DNA model. DNA model.
in…)

...some of
...all the ...all the ...very few
...most parts the parts of
parts of the parts of the parts of the
Organization of the DNA the DNA
DNA DNA DNA
(The output clearly structure structure
structure in structure structure in
shows... ) with some with some
great with some great
accuracy. level of
accuracy. accuracy. accuracy.
accuracy.

25
 26
WHAT I KNOW
Part 1.
1. C 2. A 3. F 4. B 5. E Do You Know Me?
Independent Activity 2
Part II. 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. A
1. F. Griffith 6. Thymine
2. informational 7. E. Chargaff Build Me Up
3. nucleus 8. guanine Independent Assessment 2
4. ribose 9. histone 1. DNA 6. phosphate group
5. phosphate 10. hydrogen bonds 2. RNA 7. base / nitrogenous waste
3. double helix 8. backbone / DNA backbone
WHAT’S IN 4. nucleotide 9. purines
1. A 2. A 3. B 4. B 5. B 5. sugar 10. pyrimidines
Note: Answer for no. 5 and 6 are interchangeable.
WHAT’S NEW
1 / Word 1. DNA The Perfect Match
2 / Word 2. CONTAINS Independent Activity 3
3 / Word 3. CODES 2. A T T C G T T G A
4 / Word 4. PROTEIN 3. A C T G T T A A C
5 / Word 5. PRODUCTION 4. C G A T C A T T G
5. A A A T T C G T A
WHAT IS IT 6. A T A C G T T T G
GQ no. 1 R strain bacteria incorporated some DNA
from heat-killed S strain making them pathogenic. Mix and Match
GQ no. 2 Radioactive DNA is incorporated within the Independent Assessment 3
bacterial DNA. 1. B 6. G 11. J
GQ no. 3 Ribose has 2 OH group in two of its carbon 2. Q 7. C 12. N
while deoxyribose has only one.
3. A 8. F 13. R
GQ no. 4 DNA backbone is composed of alternating
phosphate group and sugar molecules. 4. E 9. L 14. D
GQ no. 5 Purine have two rings while pyrimidines 5. K 10. H 15. I
has only one.
GQ no. 6 Adenine and guanine are purines while WHAT I HAVE LEARNED
thymine, cytosine and uracil are pyrimidines 1. N 6. P 11. E
GQ no. 7 There are two hydrogen bonds between A 2. I 7. M 12. J
and T and three hydrogen bonds between C and 3. H 8. O 13. A
G. 4. G 9. Q 14. R
GQ no. 8 The complementary strand for A C T C G 5. K 10. T 15. F
A C A T is T G A G C T G T A.
GQ no. 9 Directionality in DNA are shown by one
WHAT I CAN DO
strand running 3’à5’ direction while the other is
5’à3’. GQ no. 11 Salt helps to make DNA less soluble in
water. Dishwashing liquid is used to break the cell
GQ no. 10 The average length of DNA inside a
membrane. Chilled alcohol is used to precipitate
nucleus is about 1.8 meters.
the DNA out the mixture.
GQ no. 12 There may varied answer for this guide
WHAT’S MORE question since it depends upon the quality of the
Match Me Twice DNA extracted from the plant material
Independent Activity 1
1a. C / 1b. 4 4a. E / 4b. 1 ASSESSMENT
2a. A / 2b. 5 5a. B / 5b. 3 1. D 6. C 11. C
3a. D / 3b. 2 2. A 7. B 12. B
3. D 8. D 13. D
Where Did I Go Wrong 4. C 9. A 14. D
Independent Assessment 1 5. C 10. C 15. D
1. A 2. C 3.D 4. C 5. B
Answer Key
References
BOOKS AND PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Alvarez, Liza A. Dave G. Angeles, Hernan L. Apurada, Ma. Pilar P. Carmona, Oliver A.
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Paningbatan, Marivic S. Rosales, Ma. Teresa B. Delos Santos. Science 9: Learner’s
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Inc., 2008.
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Pearson Leaning Solution. 2011

PHOTOGRAPH REFERENCES
National Library of Medicine. Gregor Mendel. Digital Image. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://
knowgenetics.org/mendelian-genetics/ (G. Mendel, Figure 1, page 6)
Courvoisier, Hern. Friedrich Miescher. University of Basel. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://
dnalc.cshl.edu/view/16343-Gallery-15-Friedrich-Miescher.html (F. Miescher,
Figure 3, page 6)
Frederick Griffith. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://stampergenetics.weebly.com/
scientists.html (F. Griffith, Figure 4, page 6)
Alfred D. Hershey – Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2020. Sat. 4 Jul 2020.
<https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1969/hershey/biographical/>
(A. Hershey, Figure 6, page 7)
Martha Chase. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Archives. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://
dnalc.cshl.edu/view/16406-Gallery-18-Alfred-Hershey-and-Martha-Chase-1953.html
(M. Chase, Figure 6, page7)
Erwin Chargaff. Accessed July 5, 2020. http://totallyhistory.com/erwin-chargaff/
(E. Chargaff, Figure 12 page 11)
Rosalind Franklin. Ann Ronan Picture Library—World History Archive. Accessed July 5,
2020. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosalind-Franklin/images-videos
(R. Franklin, Figure 14, page 12)
James Watson – Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2020. Sat. 4 Jul 2020.
<https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1962/watson/biographical/>
(J. Watson, Figure 15, page 12)
Francis Crick. University College London. Accessed July 5, 2020. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/
news/2004/aug/professor-francis-crick-1916-2004 (F. Crick, Figure 15, page 12)

All line structures of organic molecules (page 9 and 10) are drawn using ChemSketch.

27
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