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SBI3U1 – GENETICS
GENETICS LESSON 1 – DNA AND THE NATURE OF HEREDITY – Text p.g. 138-139, 228-231, 240-244
Genetics - the field of biology dealing with heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics
¥ Living things inherit traits from their parents
What causes traits to be passed on from parent to offspring?
— When a cell divides, each new cell (daughter cell) receives genetic
information in the form of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the parent cell
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) – a molecule that contains genetic information in
cells and transmits genetic information from parent to offspring

Structure of DNA
¥ In 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick used molecular modeling techniques and data from
other scientific findings (including Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin, Erwin Chargaff and Linus
Pauling) to discover the structure of DNA at Cambridge University
¥ Watson, Crick and Wilkins received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery
¥ Rosalind Franklin, a collaborator of Maurice Wilkins provided a key piece of data that revealed the
structure to Watson and Crick however she died before the prize was awarded

¥ DNA is part of a class of molecules called nucleic acids

— DNA had 3 main components;
o A pentose (5 carbon) sugar (deoxyribose)
o A phosphate group
o A nitrogenous base
— Together these 3 components are called a nucleotide – the basic building block of nucleic acids

— The source of variation found in DNA is found within the nitrogenous bases
— There are two classes of nitrogenous bases called purines and pyrimidines

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