DNA

I know that almost everyone on the planet has heard of DNA from movies and TV, but here is the quick low-down on what it really is...

Every living thing on earth is composed of cells. Each cell contains information on how to perform its activities and what its function is for the organism as a whole. This information is coded in ways that we are just only beginning to understand. This is the genetic code.

Cells contain chromosomes. Chromosomes are made of DNA and proteins which are tightly packed.

Image from Paternityexperts.com

DNA encodes genes using certain combinations of base pairs.

Image from Strachan and Read (1999) Human Molecular Genetics 2 (Available for free from the NCBI Bookshelf).

Please Click here for more information about the structure of DNA.

This page is under construction...