DNA: Structure and Function

Chapter 12 Section 1

The First three-dimensional Life Instruction Deoxyribose Nucleic The Blueprint of Manual Life Acid The Molecule of Heredity xerox machine

The Architect of Life

DNA

Why Study DNA?

To truly understand genetics, biologists first had to discover the chemical structure of the gene . This would then help them understand how genes control the inherited characteristics of living things Gene expression is what enables cells of the same organism to take on so many different sizes, shapes and functions (even though just about every cell in an individual contains the same DNA)

Review
1. What organelle is known as the control center of the cell? nucleus 2. What structures are found in the nucleus? chromosomes 3. What are short segments of chromosomes? genes 4. What are genes/chromosomes composed of? DNA 5. How do genes/chromosomes control the activity of the cell? produce proteins that
regulate cell functions and become cell structures

Review

History
1869 - Friedrich Miescher discovered DNA in nucleus 1928 - Frederick Griffith Identified DNA as source of genetic material using bacteria 1930s - Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod and Maclyn McCarty - Confirmed that genes made of DNA 1950 - Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase confirmed DNA is the biochemical of heredity using radioactive markers bacteriophages 1952- Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin X-rayed DNA to show repeatingX-ray nucleotide structure of double helix 1953- James Watson and Francis Crick combined data Oswald Avery Maclyn McCarty to create a 3-D model of structure called the Rosalind Franklin Alfred Hershey double helix Martha Chase James Watson Francis Crick

Frederick Griffith

Watson-Crick Model

DNA Structure
Is a polymer of 1000s of nucleotide monomers Is a double strand of covalently bonded nucleotides in twisted ladder shape twisted ladder shape = double helix

DNA Shape
Double helix: 2 spirals wound around each other

But joined in the middle

DNA Structure
Is a polymer of 1000s of nucleotide monomers Sugar Is a double strand of Phosphate Backbone covalently bonded nucleotides in twisted ladder shape twisted ladder shape = double helix Rungs of ladder = nitrogen bases Sides of ladder = sugar & phosphate groups (also called the DNA backbone)

Nucleotide
Nucleotide- Individual unit of DNA. Made of three parts: Deoxyribose (5-carbon sugar) Phosphate group A nitrogen-containing base

adenine A base with a double-ring structure

Bases
sugar (deoxyribose)

(T) base with a adenine A single-ring base with a structure

double-ring structure

Four nitrogen-containing bases Adenine Guanine Cytosine Thymine

sugar (deoxyribose) adenine A base with a double-ring structure

thymine (T) base with a single-ring structure

guanine adenine (G) A a base with base with a double-ring double-ring structure structure

sugar (deoxyribose)

guanine (G) base with a double-ring structure

guanine thymine adenine cytosine (G) (T) A (C) base with a base with a cytosine basewith with a base a double-ring (C) single-ring base with a double-ring single-ring structure single-ring

structure structure structure structure

Bases

Adenine double ringed = purines Guanine

Thymine single ringed = pyrimidines

Cytosine

Nucleotide
Deoxyribose (like ribose) P base is a sugar with 5 carbon atoms in a ring sugar Oxygen is one of the ring members In Deoxyribose, one of the OH groups is missing and replaced with hydrogen Thus deoxy = - 1 oxygen

OH

Nucleotide
P - the Phosphate group P Is important because it links the sugar on one sugar nucleotide with the phosphate of the next nucleotide to make a polynucleotide Nucleotides are connected to each other via a covalent bond
base

Base Pairing Rule

Bases are paired together in specific manner Because of chemical structure and shape Adenine only pairs with Thymine Guanine only pairs with Cytosine Exactly enough room for only one purine and one pyramide base between the two strands of DNA

Base Pairing Rule

Bases held together in rungs by weak hydrogen bonds 2 hydrogen bonds between A & T 3 hydrogen bonds between C & G

DNA

DNA Function
Scientists wondered how DNA worked. They knew genes do these critical things: Carry information from one generation to another Put information to work to determine an organisms characteristics Can be easily copied Store and transmit genetic information needed for all cell functions In order to do these things it had to be a special molecule!

Understanding DNA
Our knowledge of DNA put to use: Inheritance/ Genetic Counseling Cell function/protein synthesis Embryonic development/gene regulation Evolution/ phylogenetic relationships Medicine/genetic diseases Genetic engineering/ recombinant DNA

Structure of DNA Review

Nucleotide Hydrogen bonds

Sugar-phosphate backbone
Key Adenine (A) Thymine (T) Cytosine (C) Guanine (G)

Structure of DNA Review

Purines
Adenine Guanine

Pyrimidines
Cytosine Thymine

Bases

Phosphate group

Deoxyribose

DNAs Size
To get an idea of the size of the human genome present in each of our cells, consider the following analogy: If the DNA sequence of the human genome were compiled in books, the equivalent of 200 volumes the size of a Manhattan telephone book (at 1,000 pages each) would be needed to hold it all. It would take about 9.5 years to read out loud (without stopping) the 3 billion bases in one person's genome sequence, calculated on a reading rate of 10 bases per second, equaling 600 bases/minute, 36,000 bases/hour, 864,000 bases/day, 315,360,000 bases/year.
Human Genome Project

DNA
How Am I Packaged? Nitrogen bases 1. Are like letters in the code 2. Put them in different order make a different gene

DNA
Package Genes
CAT

HAT
DOG

1. Are like words made up of letters 2. A group of nitrogen bases that makes sense 3. Tells the cell to do something

The cat sat.

DNA
Package DNA strand

One dog ate.

The big hat.

1. Are like sentences made up of words 2. A long line of genes on each DNA strand

DNA
Package Chromosomes 1. Are like books full of sentences 2. DNA strand twists around and around itself

DNA
Package

Nucleus 1. Is like a bookcase

2. Inside the cell, where all the chromosomes are stored

DNA
Package

So what would a library full of rows and rows of bookcases represent? many cells together which is a tissue