DNA Molecule of Life

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DNAMolecule of Life

• Deoxyribonucleic Acid(DNA)
• The discovery of DNA was the most important event
  in biological science of the 20th century

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Discovery!
and Im Crick

• The structure of DNA was discovered in 1953 by
  James Watson (USA) and Francis Crick (England)

Hi, Im Watson
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Rosalind Franklin

• Developed techniques for X-Ray Diffraction
  photographs
• Franklins X -Ray pictures of DNA fibers were key
  to the discovery of the structure of DNA.

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X - Ray Diffraction

• Using models, Watson and Crick were able to come
  up with the structure of DNA that matched the
  pattern in Franklins photographs.

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NOBEL PRIZE

• Watson and Crick won the Nobel Peace Prize in
  1962.
• Rosalind Franklin died in 1958. The Nobel Prize
  is only awarded to living scientists.

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Why is understanding DNA so important?

• The Human Genome Project began in 1990 and was
  completed in 2003.
• Goals
• Identify all the approximately 30,000 genes in
  human DNA.
• Determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical
  base pairs that make up human DNA.

Human Chromosomes
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Breast Cancer Gene

• Dr. Roger Wiseman Hometown - New Albany,
  Indiana
• Graduate Indiana University
• Led the team that discovered two genes
  (BRCA 1, BRCA 2) that can lead to
  breast cancer.

Women that carry the BRCA 1 mutation have a seven
times greater chance of developing breast cancer.
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Chromosomes

• Chromosomes are rod-shaped structures found
  in the nucleus of cells. Chromosomes control the
  production of a wide variety of proteins. The
  kind and number of proteins determine the traits
  of an organism.

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Its all in your Genes

• Genes are located on chromosomes. Organisms
  inherit genes in pairs, one from each parent.
  Each gene controls the production of a specific
  protein for a particular trait.

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Proteins

• DNA determines what proteins are formed.
• Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
• (There are 20 different Amino acids)

• Genomics is the study of our genetic code.
  (genes)
• Proteomics is the study of proteins.
• A typical gene has as many as 20,500 different
  kinds of proteins. Scientists are only beginning
  to figure them all out

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The molecule is so beautiful. Its glory was
reflected on Francis and me.
- James Watson

• The blueprints (genetic information) for
  making proteins is stored within our DNA. It is
  the job of DNA to control the order in which
  these 20 different amino acids are put together.
• The DNA of every human being on the planet
  is 99.9 the same.

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95 the Same?
Or is this Mr. Elliott???
Mr. Elliott???
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What about DNA?

• A strip of DNA would reach 6 feet in length.
  Fold it back and it shrinks to trillionths of an
  inch, small enough to fit in any one of our 100
  trillion cells.

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A Twisted Ladder

• A DNA molecule looks like a twisted ladder.
  The sides of the ladder are made of sugar
  molecules and phosphates. The rungs of the
  ladder are formed by substances called nitrogen
  bases.

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Activity

• DiscoveringDNAActivity(24 points)