Thursday, June 10, 2010

What is DNA?

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is the material in humans and most other organisms that is inherited from generation to generation. Most DNA in an organism is in the cell nucleus, which is called nuclear DNA, but there is also some DNA that is found in the mitochondria.

DNA is stored in a code made up of four base pairs Adenine(A), Guanine(G), Cytosine(C), and Thymine(T). Each base has a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule. The base pair, sugar molecule and the phosphate molecule combine to form what is called a nucleotide. The nucleotides are arranged into two strands that create a double helix. This is what most people see and recognize as being DNA. It looks like a spiral latter with the rods being the base pairs and the side points being the sugar molecule and the phosphate molecule.

Remember: When two base pairs are put together in a double helix It has to be A connectedto T and C connected to G


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