DNA

• DNA


  Deoxyribonucleic acid, the chemical that all of the genetic material in a cell is made up from
• DNA


  • Contains coded information - the instructions to put an organism together and make it work
  • Determines what inherited characteristics an organism has
• Chromosomes


  Long molecules of DNA found in the nucleus of animal and plant cells
• Chromosomes normally come in pairs
• DNA


  A polymer made up of two strands coiled together in the shape of a double helix
• Gene


  A small section of DNA found on a chromosome that codes for a particular sequence of amino acids to make a specific protein
• Only 20 amino acids are used, but they make up thousands of different proteins
• Genome


  The entire set of genetic material in an organism
• Understanding the human genome

  • Allows scientists to identify genes linked to different diseases
  • Helps understand inherited diseases and develop treatments
  • Allows tracing the migration of human populations
• Nucleotides


  The repeating units that DNA strands are made up of, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group and one base
• Complementary base pairing


  A always pairs with T, and C always pairs with G
• Protein synthesis


  1. DNA code copied to mRNA

  2. mRNA carries code to ribosomes

  3. Amino acids brought to ribosomes in correct order

  4. Amino acids assembled into protein chain
• Proteins


  • Have many different functions, e.g. enzymes, hormones, structural proteins