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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 
 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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 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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 The Components of DNA
• DNA is a long molecule
made up of repeating
individual units of
monomers called
nucleotides.
– Nucleotides are made up of
three parts that are held
together by covalent bonds:
1. Sugar
2. Phosphate Group
3. Nitrogenous Base
 Chromosomes and DNA

• Our genes are on

our chromosomes.
• Chromosomes are
made up of a
chemical called
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
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 10
 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:

• Cytosine C
• 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

• Thymine and cytosine each have one

ring of carbon and nitrogen atoms.
N
O
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 15
 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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In your notes, write in the base pairs for the following:
 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 18
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 19
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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THE INSTRUCTIONS
ARE IN THE SEQUENCE
OF NUCLEOTIDES.
The components that make
up the genetic code are
common to all organisms!
 A T C G
If we all have the
same
G C components of A T
DNA, why do we
look different
A T from other G C
people and from
other organisms
C G like horses or T A
plants?
DNA of a horse DNA of a human

What is the difference?

The difference is in the order of the bases.
The more alike two organisms are, the more alike their order of bases
will be.
Information for everything about an organism is carried in the order of
bases in their DNA, like a language.
DNA base pairs  genes  proteins 
traits

This sequence of base pairs

is what determines our traits
 EXIT TICKET QUICK-WRITE:
Using as much of the vocabulary below,
describe the structure and function of DNA.
deoxyribose double helix nucleotide Watson and cytosine
Crick
covalent genetic thymine base pair nitrogen
bonds information base
phosphate 3’ to 5’ 5’ to 3’ protein genetic code
synthesis
adenine nucleus hydrogen guanine traits
bond

YOU HAVE FIVE

MINUTES!
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