chaper 4.1

• deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): a linear molecule of nucleotides that carries genetic information
• proteins carry out more of the essential activites of the cell, such as enzymes, hormones, and antibodies
• DNA is the molecule responsible for transforming nonvirulent bacteria into virulent bacteria
• a DNA strand consists of nucleotides
• four bases of adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine
• successive nucleotides are linked by phosphodiester bonds to form a linear strand of DNA
• in a double DNA helix, A pairs with T and G pairs with C