GROUP 4: CREATE IT

DNA and RNA Structure Puzzle Pieces

Objective:
 Construct a model of DNA and RNA molecule using puzzle pieces.

Materials:
 DNA and RNA Template, Color, Scissors, illustration board, Tape
Procedure:
PART A: DNA TEMPLATE
1. Use the patterns of the components of the DNA provided by your teacher.
Color code:
phosphate = blue,
deoxyribose sugar = green,and
nitrogenous bases as follows:
adenine = yellow,
thymine = pink,
guanine= violet and
cytosine = red.
2. Cut out the shapes of each nucleotide.
3. Build a model of a strand of a DNA molecule. The strand should contain 6 base “rungs” following the
given order of the nucleotides below.
Guanine
Adenine
Cytosine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
4. Tape the cut out pattern to form the nucleotides.
5. Let this arrangement represent the left half of your DNA molecule.
6. Make a complementary strand for the first strand that you made in step 3.
Note:
Adenine must pair with Thymine
Cytosine must pair with Guanine
7. Tape the cut-out pattern forming nucleotides for the second strand of the DNA molecule.
8. Match the bases of the first strand and the second strand. Do not tape across bases.
PART B: RNA TEMPLATE
1. Use the patterns of the components of the DNA provided by your teacher.
Color code:
phosphate = blue,
deoxyribose sugar = green,
ribose sugar=brown and
nitrogenous bases as follows:
adenine = yellow,
guanine= violet
cytosine = red and
uracil = orange,
NOTE:
Uracil is only present in RNA Template
2. Cut out the shapes of each nucleotide.
3. Build a model of a strand of a DNA molecule. The strand should contain 6 base “rungs” following the
given order of the nucleotides below.
Guanine
Adenine
Cytosine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
4. Tape the cut out pattern to form the nucleotides.
5. Let this arrangement represent the left half of your DNA molecule.
6. Make a complementary strand for the first strand that you made in step
Note:
Adenine must pair with Uracil
Cytosine must pair with Guanine
7. Tape the cut-out pattern forming nucleotides for the second strand of the DNA molecule.
8. Match the bases of the first strand and the second strand. Do not tape across bases.
9. Tape the RNA nucleotides.

Answer the following questions:

1. Compare the two new strands are they the same or different? Why?
2. How do you compare a DNA molecule to a zipper?
3. How do the nucleotides in DNA pair? RNA pair?

Use Chargaff’s Rules to predict the bases’ percentage in each of the following DNA situations:
4. 24% Adenine, __________% Thymine
5. 30% Cytosine, __________% Guanine