Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Learning Outcomes
• Describe the structure of DNA molecule and its
relationship with the chromosome.
• Explain how the structure of the molecule enables
the processes of replication and transcription.
• Explain how the DNA molecule can control all the
activities of the cell.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Identifying the Substance Responsible for

Inheritance
• In 1928, Frederick Griffith
found that heat-killed
virulent strains of a type of
bacterium could convert the
non-virulent forms into the
virulent strains.
• The substance which caused
the change – the
transforming principle.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Identifying the Substance Responsible for

Inheritance
• By 1944, Avery, Macleod and McCarty concluded
that the transforming principle was
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
• In 1952, Hershey and Chase experiments proved
that DNA was the actual substance of inheritance.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

• From X-ray diffraction photos, Watson and
Crick deduced that there were two helices
present in DNA.
• Their final model of DNA molecule consisted of
two chains of polynucleotides, with each chain
in the form of a helical spiral.
• Hydrogen bonds present between the pairs of
bases of neighbouring chains caused the chains
to coil around each other forming a double
helix.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

The Race to Unravel the DNA Structure
• In early 1950s, Linus Pauling had worked out the
helical structure common to many fibrous proteins.
• X-ray crystallography allowed Maurice Wilkins and
Rosalind Franklin to derive the gross structure of
the molecule.
• James Watson and Francis Crick revealed the DNA
structure by looking at the X-ray diffraction data, as
well as the ratio of the different nucleotide bases
known to be present in DNA.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

The Race to Unravel the DNA Structure
• In early 1950s, Linus
Pauling had worked out
the helical structure
common to many fibrous
proteins.
• X-ray crystallography
allowed Maurice Wilkins
and Rosalind Franklin to
derive the gross structure
of the molecule.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

The Race to Unravel the DNA Structure
• James Watson and Francis Crick
revealed the DNA structure by
looking at the X-ray diffraction
data, as well as the ratio of the
different nucleotide bases known
to be present in DNA.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

Understanding the Double Helix Structure
• Basic unit of DNA model
is the nucleotide. Each
nucleotide consists of a
nitrogenous base, 5-
carbon sugar and a
phosphate group.
• There are four bases ;
adenine (A), thymine
(T), guanine (G) and
cytosine (C).

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

Understanding the Double Helix Structure
• Pairings are always between adenine and thymine,
involving two hydrogen bonds and between guanine
and cytosine involving three hydrogen bonds.
• This fixed pairing of bases is crucial for the
accurate replication during cell division and for
transcription.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

Understanding the Double Helix Structure
• The sugar phosphate backbones of the helices are
on the outside and the base-pairings are on the
inside of the DNA strands.
• The 5-carbon sugar, deoxyribose provides the name
for the DNA.
• The two strands of double helix run in opposite
directions (anti-parallel).
• Nucleotides are important, not just as building
blocks for nucleic acids, but also for components of
various co-enzymes such as ATP.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

Understanding the Double Helix Structure

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA Replication
• Each strand of the parental
DNA will be a template for the
assembly of a complementary
strand.
• An enzyme breaks the
hydrogen bonds between the
complementary bases.
• Free nucleotides from the
surroundings move in and bond
with the complementary bases
in the DNA.
THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE
Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA Replication
• Various enzymes seal the
newly attached nucleotides
to each other.
• The process is fast and
accurate but on rare
occasions when a base is
incorrectly attached, this
leads to mutations.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA, Genes and Protein Synthesis
• The sequence of bases in the DNA codes for the
sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide.
• Each group of three bases, known as a codon,
codes for a specific amino acid.
• Most of the amino acids can be coded for by more
than one codon.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA, Genes and Protein Synthesis
• A gene consists of clusters of nucleotides with coding regions known as exons interspersed with non-coding regions called introns.
• A gene does not build proteins directly.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA, Genes and Protein Synthesis
• The first stage – transcription- occurs in the nucleus
and involves “rewriting” of the DNA code into a
sequence of bases of RNA.
• The second stage – translation – messenger RNA
(mRNA) travels to the cytoplasm where it is
translated by ribosomes into proteins.
• Mistakes such as a mutation in the gene could alter
the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA. Polypeptides
synthesised under such circumstances are
frequently non-functional.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA, Genes and Protein Synthesis
• DNA controls cell activities by its ability to code
for the synthesis of proteins. These proteins may
be structural, or play a functional role. More
importantly, they could be enzymes which by the
reactions they control determine the activity of
the cell.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA, Genes and Protein Synthesis

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA and the Chromosome
• The chromosomes become visible only just before
cell division when the chromatin threads condense.
• The DNA strand coils around protein molecules
called histones. The structures formed are called
nucleosomes.
• Nucleosomes are packed close together into coils
forming a solenoid structure or fibre.
• The solenoid fibre is further coiled to form the
chromatin fibre.

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE

Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

13.1 Structure of DNA

DNA and the Chromosome

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

• Chromosomes contain DNA.

• The DNA molecule is a double-helix structure
with information coded as triplet bases.
• The bases come in fixed pairs – adenine always
pairs with thymine, and guanine with cytosine.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

• A triplet of nucleotide bases which codes for a

particular amino acid is known as a codon.
• During replication, the parent DNA strand unravels
and free nucleotides from the cytoplasm move in
to bond with the corresponding bases on the
separated DNA strands.
• During transcription, part of the DNA strand serves
as a template which codes for an RNA molecule,
known as mRNA.
• The mRNA molecule carries the message to the
ribosome where it is translated.

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Chapter 13 Molecular Basis of Inheritance

THEME THREE: CONTINUITY OF LIFE