DNA is a term that has been used in science as well as in many parts of daily
life. The general public knows that DNA is a part of our bodies but they may
wonder what exactly is DNA? DNA is a term used for deoxyribonucleic acid and it
is the genetic material of all organisms, it is the molecule of life and it
determines all of our physical characteristics. DNA is present in every single
form of life. More than 50 years after the science of genetics was established
and the patterns of inheritance were clarified, the largest questions remained
unanswered: How are the chromosomes and their genes copied exactly from cell to
cell, and how do they direct the structure and behavior of living things?
Two American geneticists, George Wells Beadle and Edward Lawrie Tatum, provided
one of the first important clues in the early 1940s. Working with the fungi
Neurospora and Penicillium, they found that “genes direct the formation of
enzymes through the units of which they are composed.” (Annas) Each unit, a
polypeptide is produced by a specific gene. This establish the field of
molecular genetics.
The fact that chromosomes were almost entirely composed of two kinds of chemical
substances, protein and nucleic acids, had long been known. In 1944, however,
the Canadian bacteriologist Oswald Theodore Avery showed that deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) performed this role. He extracted DNA from one strain of bacteria
and introduced it into another strain. The second strain not only acquired
characteristics of the first but passed them on to the next generation. Each
nucleotide consists of a phosphate, a sugar known as deoxyribose, and any one of
four nitrogen-containing bases. The four nitrogen bases are adenine (A),
thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C).
In 1953 James Dewey Watson of the United States and Francis Harry Crick of
England worked out the structure of DNA. In 1962, both men earned the Nobel
Prize in physiology for their discovery. This knowledge provided understanding
how hereditary information is copied. Watson and Crick found that the DNA
molecule is composed of two long strands in the form of a double helix,
resembling a long, spiral ladder. The strands, or sides of the ladder, are made
up of alternating phosphate and sugar molecules. The nitrogen bases, joining in
pairs, act as the rungs. Each base is attached to a sugar mo...
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...ut of the nucleus.
Scientists continue to study the DNA molecule with hopes of find the secrets
that are hidden with in our own bodies. Their findings continue to aid us in
cures and the prevention of many illnesses that years ago we couldn’t solve.
Hopefully the research will soon pay off, with the cure for cancer or
Alzheimer’s Disease. DNA has also been very important in Forensic science where
it is used to identify individuals who have committed a crime. More recently,
DNA has been valuable in identifying those who were lost in the World Trade
Center disaster.
Genetic scientists working on what is known as the Human Genome Project have
been able to map all of the sequences of the three billion nucleotide base pairs
that make up the human genetic material. This will prove to be very important
and will pave the way for many life changing discoveries. This fact has caused
some controversy due to religious and moral matters because it gives man much
power over the developement of future generations. Although this may be a
concern I feel that there are many benefits in the ability we will have to do
amazing things because of these recent discoveries.
DNA is the blueprint of life from its creation to its development and until its death. The discovery of the structure of DNA not only revolutionized science and medicine, but it also affected many other facets of existence: evolutionary, industrial, legal, and criminal justice. Its incarnation has benefitted American families and industries and spurred scientific innovation throughout the country. Aptly stated by Francis Crick, “your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of identity and freewill, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. As Lewis Carroll’s Alice might have phrased it: ‘you’re nothing but a pack of neurons.’ [Watson and my] discovery illustrates how that is possible.”
In April of 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published a game changing paper. It would blow the mind of the scientific community and reshape the entire landscape of science. DNA, fully knows as Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the molecule that all genes are made of. Though it is a relatively new term with regard to the age of science, the story of DNA and the path to its discovery covers a much broader timeframe and had many more contributors than James Watson and Francis Crick. After reading the paper the audience should have a better understanding of what DNA is, the most important experiments that contributed to its ultimate discovery and the names and contributions of the lesser-known scientists that helped Watson and Crick turn their idea
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule found in in the nucleus of all cells in the body which carries our genetic information. DNA is found in the form of chromosomes, with a total of 23 pairs in the human body1. DNA holds the genetic coding for all our characteristics, i.e. our eye colour, body shape, and how we interact with others on a daily basis.
The essential component of life can be acknowledged and is made up of a nucleic acid known as DNA. DNA is the abbreviated form for the word deoxyribonucleic acid and it is the “carrier of genetic information” (McMurry, Ballantine, Hoeger, & Peterson, 1992, pg. 775). DNA contains the genetic instructions that are needed for an organism to develop, survive, and replicate, as it plays a crucial role in living systems that makes each species unique and distinctive. The multifaceted material is stored in every cell of every living organisms and it contains information about our nature, appearance, performance, etc. With the instructions that it contains, DNA is passed from the adult organism to their offspring during reproduction. (McMurry, Ballantine, Hoeger, & Peterson, 1992, pg.777).
1. DNA is a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-replication and synthesis of RNA. DNA consists of two long chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine. The sequence of nucleotides determines individual hereditary characteristics.
All cells contain a complex structure known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is a chemical that determines how we are. The multiple combinations of its components are what makes a difference in each person. Long molecules of DNA are organized into chromosomes, which are grouped into 23 pairs. Then the chromosomes are broken down into short segments of DNA known as genes.
Many people have wondered what it is exactly that makes us...human. What is it that separates us from one another that makes us unique? DNA and Genes is what makes every person up. Everyone is different because of it. Humans are different from each other by their skin color, their facial features, and it’s all due to Deoxyribonucleic Acid. DNA or Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a molecule that contains the genetic instructions that are used in the functioning, the development, and the reproduction that is a necessity to humans and other living organisms.
Mitochondrial DNA is relatively short, only 16 569 bp long, and codes for just 37 genes. It has been completely sequenced (the order of the bases has been worked out) and is very well studied and understood by molecular biologists. There are about 800 m...
DNA is the basic substance in the life forms you see around you, yet it is a complicated concept. Your DNA determines the color of your eyes, skin, hair and enable functions such as your sight and hearing. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid which contains the biological aspects that make everyone individually different. DNA is all contained in one molecule, and there are millions of tightly packaged DNA cells all throughout many life forms making it the building block of the DNA.
DNA – the very molecule that defines who we are. It is still fascinating that a molecule that is so small that is not visible to the naked eye determines not just our physical appearance but also our mental wellbeing. Over 60 years, the discovery of the double helix DNA had impacted various fields relating to Biology and Chemistry, contributing to the advancement of technology and subsequently mankind too.
Sections of DNA contain sequences of bases that repeat several times (Saferstein 44). Genes contain the code for making proteins and arrange them int...
The lab this week included deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolation and gel electrophoresis. All living organisms depend on DNA in order to live. In fact, DNA is the “blueprint” passed from parents to their offspring. If the parents have any kind of genetic disorder it is highly possible it is passed on to their children. DNA is a complex structure made up of nucleotides. The reason I say complex is because each nucleotide contains a sugar, phosphate and one of four nitrogen bases. The nitrogen bases include adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. The base is what determines the genetic code for each molecule of DNA. I find it amazing you can see DNA that is grouped together with the naked eye.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating molecule or material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent in chromosomes. It encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses. Simply put, DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. The discovery and use of DNA has seen many changes and made great progress over many years. James Watson was a pioneer molecular biologist who is credited, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, with discovering the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. The three won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for their work (Bagley, 2013). Scientist use the term “double helix” to describe DNA’s winding, two-stranded chemical structure. This shape looks much like a twisted ladder and gives the DNA the power to pass along biological instructions with great precision.
Why are we so interested in having the results of our DNA in our hands? Here’s why. A DNA test is used for multiple important reasons such as personal, legal, and medical reasons. Personal reasons are a huge reason why people want their DNA testing. A test for a personal reason may be that a mom wants to know who her baby’s father is. I know that is a little deep, but it is a real reality. Legal reasons, as I touched on earlier, may be the deciding factor in a huge criminal case. Did Kathy’s best friend really kill her or was it the neighbor next door? Lastly , but certainly not least, is medical situations. This hits home because to me this is a very important topic about DNA testing. A test can be ran to see if a person has a certain disease. On one hand it might not be good news to hear that he or she has a disease, but on the other hand it will be good to know the results so they can plan accordingly to what needs to be
Every cell in every living organism contains DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is wound up around proteins to form chromosomes, and along these chromosomes are sections which code for different traits in the organism, known as genes. Thus the program of genetics is written in the language of DNA (Steitz undated). Chromosomes are comprised of thousands of genes, each having specific sequences of nucleotides which code for specific traits in the organism or functions within each cell. These features could include eye or hair colour of a human, or a specific protein or enzyme which can produce an organism’s inherited traits (Steitz undated).