Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Question 1

what is DNA ?

Answer 1

DNA is a molecule that is able to carry the genetic code of all living things on Earth.

Question 2

who discovered DNA ?

Answer 2

in 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick

Question 3

what is the structure of DNA ?

Answer 3

DNA has the same structure in all living organisims - it is made up of smaller molecules called nucleotides

Question 4

what is the make up of an nucleotide molecule ?

Answer 4

A basic nucleotide molecule is composed of three parts:
Phosphate group
A Deoxyribose sugar
A nitrogen-rich base

Question 5

how are nucleotides arranged ?

Answer 5

the nucleotides are organised in such a way that makes up the DNA a double helix

Question 6

what is the structure of a double helix ?

Answer 6

the shape of a double helix is like that of a twisted ladder:

• the uprights of the ladder are made up of alternating phosphate and sugar groups.
• the rungs of the ladder are made up of the nitrogen rich base.

Question 7

what are the nitrogen rich base pairs?

Answer 7

The nitrogen-rich base pairs are:
Adenine (A)
Thymine (T)
Guanine (G)
Cytosine (C)

All nitrogen-rich base pairs have a different chemical structure and shapes that compliment each other. They also pair up in one way - called complementary base pairing.