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Biology Structure of DNA

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Sonal Kandulna
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18 views

Biology Structure of DNA

Uploaded by

Sonal Kandulna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Project File

Topic:-Structure Of DNA

Name-Sonal Kandulna
Class-12 Science
R.N-19
Subject Biology
INDEX
• Topic-
• Front Page
• Acknowledgement
• Certificate
• Discovery of DNA
• Introduction
• Structure of DNA
• Bibliography
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I Would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Science teacher Miss Sehar
Meshram as well as our Mrs. L Bhuvaneswari Principal who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic: Structure Of DNA
Secondly, I would like to thank my parents who helped me a lot in finishing this
project within the limited time frame.
Certificate
This is to certify that Sonal Kandulna Of Class XII-Science Of Aparnaa World
School has Completed his project work of Biology during the academic year
2024-2025 under the consideration of his subject teacher Miss. Sehar Meshram
Who Discovered DNA?
DNA was first recognized and identified by the Swiss biologist Johannes
Friedrich Miescher in 1869 during his research on white blood cells.
The double helix structure of a DNA molecule was later discovered through the experimental
data by James Watson and Francis Crick. Finally, it was proved that DNA is responsible for
storing genetic information in living organisms.
Introduction
What is DNA?
“DNA is a group of molecules that is responsible for carrying and transmitting the hereditary materials or the genetic
instructions from parents to offsprings.”

This is also true for viruses, as most of these entities have either RNA. For instance, some viruses may have RNA as their
genetic material, while others have DNA as the genetic material. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) contains
RNA, which is then converted into DNA after attaching itself to the host cell.
Apart from being responsible for the inheritance of genetic information in all living beings, DNA also plays a crucial role
in the production of proteins. Nuclear DNA is the DNA contained within the nucleus of every cell in a eukaryotic
organism. It codes for the majority of the organism’s genomes while the mitochondrial DNA and plastid DNA handles the
rest.

The DNA present in the mitochondria of the cell is termed mitochondrial DNA. It is inherited from the mother to the
child. In humans, there are approximately 16,000 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA. Similarly, plastids have their own
DNA, and they play an essential role in photosynthesis.
The DNA structure can be thought of as a twisted ladder. This structure is described as a double-helix, as illustrated in the figure
above. It is a nucleic acid, and all nucleic acids are made up of nucleotides. The DNA molecule is composed of units
called nucleotides, and each nucleotide is composed of three different components such as sugar, phosphate groups and nitrogen
bases.
The basic building blocks of DNA are nucleotides, which are composed of a sugar group, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen
base. The sugar and phosphate groups link the nucleotides together to form each strand of DNA. Adenine (A), Thymine (T),
Guanine (G) and Cytosine (C) are four types of nitrogen bases.
These 4 Nitrogenous bases pair together in the following way: A with T, and C with G. These base pairs are essential for the DNA’s
double helix structure, which resembles a twisted ladder.
The order of the nitrogenous bases determines the genetic code or the DNA’s instructions.
Among the three components of DNA
structure, sugar is the one which
forms the backbone of the DNA
molecule. It is also called
deoxyribose. The nitrogenous bases
of the opposite strands form
hydrogen bonds, forming a ladder-
like structure.
The DNA molecule consists of 4 nitrogen bases, namely adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and Guanine (G),
which ultimately form the structure of a nucleotide. The A and G are purines, and the C and T are pyrimidines.
The two strands of DNA run in opposite directions. These strands are held together by the hydrogen bond that is
present between the two complementary bases. The strands are helically twisted, where each strand forms a
right-handed coil, and ten nucleotides make up a single turn.
The pitch of each helix is 3.4 nm. Hence, the distance between two consecutive base pairs (i.e., hydrogen-
bonded bases of the opposite strands) is 0.34 nm.

The DNA coils up, forming chromosomes, and each chromosome has a single
molecule of DNA in it. Overall, human beings have around twenty-three pairs of
chromosomes in the nucleus of cells. DNA also plays an essential role in the
process of cell division.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

For Successfully Completing my project file. I have taken help from the following website
links:-
www.google.com
youtube.com

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