Bio Unit 7a: DNA - structure

DNA

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Nucleotide

monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base

Nitrogen bases

The chemicals that make up the rungs of the DNA ladder. Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine. A-T and C-G match.

phosphate group

A chemical group consisting of a phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms; makes up the backbone of DNA

Deoxyribose sugar

A five-carbon sugar that is a component of DNA nucleotides

DNA replication

The process in which DNA makes a duplicate copy of itself.

Chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Gene

A segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait

Watson and Crick

Figured out structure of DNA was a double helix

Rosalind Franklin

Woman who generated x-ray images of DNA, she provided Watson and Crick with key data about DNA

Erwin Chargaff

discovered that A=T and G=C

complementary base pairing

When building a complementary strand of DNA Adenine (A) will always pair with Thymine (T) and Guanine (G) will always pair with Cytosine (C)