1. DNA: WHAT IS IT, and WHAT IS ITS STRUCTURE? DNA is Deoxyribonucleic Acid, a coiled double helix molecule. Genes are made of DNA. All of your genetic Information is carried In your DNA. If you have brown hair And brown eyes, the code For this is carried in your Genes.

2. WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF DNA? DNA consists of 4 kinds of nucleotide bases called Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine. A &T are paired; G & C are paired. DNA has a Sugar - Phosphate backbone. The sugar is called Deoxyribose in DNA.

3. WHY DOES DNA HAVE TO BE REPLICATED? DNA must be replicated as a cell undergoes cell division (mitosis or meiosis) to produce new cells. This ensures that the newly produced cells also have the same copy of DNA that was in the original cell before it underwent cell division. During DNA replication, the DNA molecule must uncoil and then produce two new complementary strands. Each strand of the double helix of DNA serves As a model, or template, for the new strand.

4. DO MISTAKES EVER OCCUR DURING DNA REPLICATION? Yes, mistakes do occur during DNA replication. sometimes the wrong base is inserted or deleted. These mistakes are called MUTATIONS.

5. WHAT IS RNA? RNA consists of 5- carbon sugars called Ribose, phosphate groups, and nucleotide bases called Adenine, Uracil, Guanine, and Cytosine. (Note: RNA has Uracil instead of Thymine, which is in DNA.)

6. How is RNA Different from DNA? - RNA has Ribose sugar instead of Deoxribose sugar, which is in DNA. -RNA has the nucleotide base called Uracil in place of Thymine (which is in DNA). -RNA is single-stranded; DNA is double stranded.

7. STRUCTURE OF RNA RNA is a long chain of Nucleotides. Note: the Bases Adenine, Uracil, Guanine, & Cytosine. See the sugar called Ribose. The “P” means Phosphate group.

8. TRANSLATION During translation, the cell uses information from mRNA to produce proteins in the ribosomes. Each set of 3 consecutive bases (a combination of A,U, C or G) on the mRNA codes for an amino acid. At the ribosome, this mRNA code will tell Transfer RNA (tRNA) which amino acid to bring to the ribosome to assemble into proteins.

9. TRANSCRIPTION &TRANSLATION