1. DNA THE CELLULAR BASIS FOR LIFE

2. DNA STRUCTURE DNA is a nucleic acid made up of nucleotides joined into two long strands by covalent bonds Nucleotides are made up of 1.A 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose) 2.A phosphate group 3.A nitrogenous base DNA has four nitrogenous bases Adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine

3. THE HEROES OF DNA DISCOVERY! Hmm… the angle of the x produced by the x-ray must mean that there are two strands! WATSON AND CRICK ROSALIND FRANKLIN

4. DNA STRUCTURE Base pairing A always pairs with T G always pairs with C A-T G-C  Strands of DNA are twisted into a double helix (like a twisted ladder)  Watson and Crick’s model- 1953

5. THE DOUBLE HELIX MODEL The double helix model explains the rule of base pairing and how the two strands are held together. Two strands are “antiparallel”- run in opposite directions Held together by hydrogen bonds Relatively weak The ability of strands to separate is critical to DNA’s functions

7. DNA REPLICATION Each strand has all the info needed to reconstruct the other half (base pairing) = complementary Before dividing, a cell must duplicate its DNA in a process called replication Takes place during S phase of interphase DNA molecule separates into two strands Then, produces two complementary strands by base pairing

8. ROLE OF ENZYMES Enzymes “unzip” DNA by breaking H bonds and unwinding strands Each strand serves as a template DNA POLYMERASE- joins individual nucleotides to produce a new strand of DNA Also “proofreads” each new strand

9. TELOMERES DNA at the tips of chromosomes; protect our genetic data Difficult to replicate so require telomerase, a special enzyme that adds short, repeated DNA sequences to the telomeres (TTAGGG) Helps prevent genes from being damaged or lost during replication Telomerase is often switched off in adult somatic cells and activated in cancer cells, allowing to grow and proliferate rapidly

10. PROKARYOTIC DNA REPLICATION Prokaryotes have circular DNA- in cytoplasm Starts from a single point and proceeds in two directions until the entire chromosome is copied

11. EUKARYOTIC DNA REPLICATION May begin at hundreds of places on the DNA molecule, proceeding in both directions until chromosome is completely copied Proteins check for chemical damage or base pair mismatches but damaged regions are sometimes replicated Results in changes to base sequences and therefore may alter genes

12. EUKARYOTIC DNA REPLICATION

13. Two copies of DNA produced by replication in each chromosome remain closely associated until prophase of mitosis After they condense, sister chromatids are clearly visible