DNA Structure

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to the structure of DNA, including its components, shape, and the scientists involved in its discovery.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

The blueprint of life containing instructions for making proteins within the cell.

James Watson & Francis Crick

Scientists who built the first model of DNA in the 1950s, using Franklin's X-rays.

Rosalind Franklin

Scientist who took diffraction x-ray photographs of DNA, providing key data for determining DNA's structure.

Double Helix

The twisted ladder or zipper shape of the DNA molecule.

Nucleotide

The building block of DNA, consisting of a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Nitrogenous Base

A component of DNA nucleotides; includes Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.

Purines

Double-ring nitrogenous bases; Adenine (A) and Guanine (G).

Pyrimidines

Single-ring nitrogenous bases; Thymine (T) and Cytosine (C).

Chargaff’s Rule

The rule stating that Adenine pairs with Thymine (A=T) and Guanine pairs with Cytosine (G=C).

Hydrogen Bonds in DNA

Weak bonds that form between nitrogenous bases, holding the two strands of DNA together.