Sir JayR Taroy 1

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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 DNA
• DNA is a nucleic acid
• DNA stands for
Deoxyribonucleic
Acid
• DNA – is the genetic
material inside the nucleus
of eukaryotic cells.

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 Why do we study DNA?
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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Discovering the Structure of DNA
Structure was discovered in 1953 by
James Watson and Francis Crick

They were only able to

complete the model
after x rays taken of
DNA through a
microscope by a woman
named Rosalind Franklin
revealed the key to
determining the true
shape….she was never
officially credited with
the discovery 

Watch this!:
DNA ANIMATION!
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 Chromosomes and DNA

• Our genes are on

our chromosomes.
• Chromosomes are
made up of a
chemical called
DNA.

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 Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Segment of DNA

NUCLEUS CHROMOSOMES GENES SEGMENTS

OF DNA

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 The Shape of the Molecule

• DNA is a very long

polymer.
• The basic shape is
like a twisted ladder
or zipper.
• This is called a
double helix.
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The Double Helix Molecule
• The DNA
double helix
has two
strands
twisted
together.

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 One Strand of DNA
• The backbone of phosphate
the molecule is group

alternating
phosphates deoxyribose
(salt/phosphorus) and
deoxyribose sugar
(Pentose Sugar)
• The teeth are
bases
nitrogenous 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

C C

O Deoxyribose 11
 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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 In DNA, Which Bases Pair?
• Adenine (A) always pairs
with Thymine (T)
• Guanine (G) always pairs
with Cytosine (C) Covalent
bonds

Watch this!:
COMPOSITION OF DNA 14
Two Kinds of Bases in DNA
N
• Pyrimidines are N C
O C C
single ring bases.
N C

• Purines are N C
N
double ring C C
N
bases. N C
N C

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 Thymine and Cytosine are
pyrimidines

• Thymine and cytosine each have one ring of

carbon and nitrogen atoms.

O N
N N C
C
O C C
O C C C
N C
N C
thymine cytosine
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 Adenine and Guanine are
purines
• Adenine and guanine each have two
rings of carbon and nitrogen atoms.

N O
N C N C

C C N C C
N N
N C N C
C
Adenine N C Guanine N 17
 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.

C
• The bonds between N
cytosine and guanine are C N
shown here with dotted
C C O
lines 19

C N
 Hydrogen Bonds, cont.
O
• When making N C
hydrogen bonds,
cytosine always pairs O C C C
up with guanine N
N C
• Adenine always pairs C
up with thymine N
C N
• Adenine is bonded to
thymine here C
C C
N N

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Chargraff’s Rule:
• Adenine and Thymine
always join together
A T
• Cytosine and Guanine
always join together
C G

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In your notes, write in the base pairs for the following:
 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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Thanks! 24