Genes, DNA, and Cells

Introduction

• The entire body of all living things are

comprised of cells; and all of these cells
• But despite having the same fundamental
components, all the cells in the body have
different roles and purposes
 DNA
• Double-stranded helix molecule made up of four
building blocks called nucleotide bases (different
chemicals that are abbreviated A, T, C, and G) that are
arranged in a certain order throughout a genome.
• The human genome has 3 billion pairs of bases. The
order of these nucleotides are critical to the accuracy
of the instructions of a gene.
 Roles of DNA
• every cell in the body has the same genetic makeup; therefore, the genetic

material must be faithfully duplicated at every cell division.

• the genetic material must have informational content, since it must encode the

constellation of proteins (DNA) expressed by an organism

• the structure of DNA must be relatively stable so that organisms can rely on its

encoded information, and it must also allow the coded information to change

on rare occasion
 Genes
• The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent

to offspring.

• Genes reside on chromosomes. If a gene is like a chapter in a

book, the chromosome is the book itself.

• Proteins and RNA influence how an organism looks, how well its

body metabolizes food and fights infection, and even how it

behaves.

• Different genes can vary in length and cover thousands of bases. 

 Introduction

• How are cells different from each other?

– ;All cells have a NUCLEUS
• nucleus controls many of the functions of the
cell by controlling protein synthesis and
contains DNA in chromosomes
Basic Animal Cell
Structure of Nucleus
Chromosome Structure
Basic Deoxyribonucleic Acid Structure
ALL CELLS HAVE THE SAME SET OF GENES
• But any particular cell uses only a selected set of
genes
 Transcription Factor Difference
ERYTHROCYTES ALVEOLAR EPITHELIUM
• erythroid transcription • zinc finger transcription
factor (GATA-1) (cX) factor (GATA-6) (c18)
• How are cells different from each
other?
– Since biochemical function is determined
largely by specific enzymes (proteins),
different sets of genes must be turned on
and off(role of transcription factors) in the
various cell types. This is how cells
differentiate