DNA

STRUCTURE
 Nucleotides
 Nucleotides ARE the building blocks
(monomers) of nucleic acids
(polymers).
 One kind of nucleic acid is DNA
(DeoxyriboNucleicAcid)
 Each nucleotide is made up of 3 parts:
1. A ring-shaped sugar called deoxyribose
2. A phosphate group
3. A nitrogenous base (a single
or double ring of carbon
and nitrogen atoms)
 There are FOUR types of nucleotides
found in DNA
 They only differ by their nitrogenous
ring structures (bases).
1. Thymine (T) single ring=Pyrimadine
2. Cytosine (C) single ring=Pyrimadine
3. Adenine (A) double ring=Purine
4. Guanine (G) double ring=Purine
HINT: AG (agriculture) products are pure
and you have to work double hard on the
farm…..so A and G are purines with double
ring bases.
 How do the nucleotides pair?
Scientist found
that….
 Cytosine and
Guanine pair with 3
hydrogen bonds
 Thymine and
Adenine pair with 2
hydrogen bonds
 A=T and C=G
 Quick Quiz
 If Guanine always pairs with Cytosine &
Adenine always pairs with
Thymine...then they are always found in
set amounts.
 If one strand of DNA has 20%
Guanines, how many Cytosines?
 And Adenines? And Thymines?
 20%G + 20%C = 40% G&C ;
 that leaves 60%... 30% A and 30% T
 Formation of the DNA Strand
 Think about the DNA
molecule like a ladder:
sides and rungs
 Sides:
 Called the Sugar-
Phosphate backbone
 The Sugar from one
nucleotide is connected
to the Phosphate of
another nucleotide
 Held together by
covalent bonds
 Formation of the DNA Strand
 Think about the DNA
molecule like a ladder:
sides and rungs
 Rungs:
 Bases meet up in the
middle
 Held together by
hydrogen bonds

 Remember: Hydrogen
bonds are the
WEAKEST bonds!
 1953: Watson & Crick
 They were able to take
all information from the
work of scientists
before them…
 Proposed a 3-D model of
the DNA molecule
capable of:
 copying itself accurately
 being translated into a
living organism
 It was a double helix!
 Complementary Bases Pairs
 Two strands on the double helix. Run in
opposite directions of each other.
 The 2 strands are held together by base pairs
that are complementary to each other.
 A pairs with T
 G pairs with C
 These combinations on both strings of DNA
make a code of instructions which can be
passed down from generation to generation
through chromosomes.
1. ____________ are the monomers that
make up __________ _______ polymers.
2. Name the 3 parts of a nucleotide.
3. Single ring bases are called _________
and Double ring bases are called ______.
4. Nucleotides are joined by what type of
bond?
5. What scientists created the first DNA
model?
6. When A pairs with T, and G pairs with C,
they are said to be “___________” to each
other.