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Dna Structures
Dna Structures
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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Watson & Crick’s Model
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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
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The Shape of the Molecule
7
One Strand of DNA
• The backbone of phosphate
the molecule is
alternating
phosphates and deoxyribose
deoxyribose
sugar
• The teeth are
nitrogenous
bases
bases.
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O Nucleotides
O -P O
O
One deoxyribose together
O with its phosphate and base
O -P O make a nucleotide.
O O
O -P O
O Nitrogenous
O base
Phosphate
C
C C
O Deoxyribose 9
One Strand of DNA
nucleotide
• One strand of
DNA is a polymer
of nucleotides.
• One strand of
DNA has many
millions of
nucleotides.
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Four nitrogenous bases
DNA has four different bases:
• CytosineC
• Thymine T
• Adenine A
• Guanine G
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Two Kinds of Bases in DNA
N
• Pyrimidines are N C
O C C
single ring bases.
N C
• Purines are N
N C
double ring C C
bases. N C
N
N C
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Thymine and Cytosine are
pyrimidines
N O
N C N C
C C N C C
N N
N C N C
C
Adenine N C Guanine N 14
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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Hydrogen Bonds
• The bases attract each
N
other because of
hydrogen bonds.
C
N
N
• Hydrogen bonds are weak
but there are millions
C
and millions of them in a
N
O
single molecule of DNA.
N
• The bonds between
C
N
cytosine and guanine are C N
shown here with dotted
C C O
lines 16
C N
Hydrogen Bonds, cont.
O
• When making N C
hydrogen bonds,
cytosine always O C C C
pairs up with N C
guanine
• Adenine always
pairs up with
thymine
• Adenine is bonded
to thymine here 17
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. The earth is 150 billion m
• DNA has a diameter of or 93 million miles from
only 0.000000002 m. the sun.
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