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DNA – Deoxyribonucleic Acid. DNA – The Genetic Storehouse. DNA occurs as a double stranded string of nucleotides that are bound together in the shape of a double helix.
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DNA – The Genetic Storehouse • DNA occurs as a double stranded string of nucleotides that are bound together in the shape of a double helix. • If it was unwound it would appear as a ladder, with the sugar-phosphate groups as the two supports and the nitrogen containing base groups as the ladder rungs.
Stucture • From Franklin’s X-ray analysis, we know that there are several repeating sequences that must be accounted for in the structural arrangement. • Levene’s and Chargaff’s work previously identified the structures and pairing rules by the nucleotide bases.
Structure cont. • Adenine and Guanine make up a double ring structure of nucleotides known as the Purines. • Cytosine and Thymine are a single ring nucleotide making up the Pyrimidines. • The chemical configuration of the bases allows for only certain base pairings.
Complementary Base Pairs • Adenine (double ring with 2 H binding sites) can only form a stable association with Thymine (single ring with 2 H sites) • Likewise, Cytosine (single ring, 3 H binding sites) forms a stable relationship with Guanine (double ring, 3 H sites) • These pairings create what is known as Complementary Base Pairs.
The Complementary Bases Two weak Hydrogen Bonds Three Weak Hydrogen Bonds
Complementary not Identical • The two opposite strands of DNA are complementary. They carry complementary base pairs in such a way that the Hydrogen bonding sites line up. • The strands run antiparallel, that is the sugar phosphate backbone point in opposite direction. We call these the 5’ and 3’ ends of the DNA strands.
You are the scientist!!!!!! • Read the Thinking Lab on the bottom of Page 575. Do only the first question.