![]() ![]() The rungs and side rails of the DNA ladder. The “side rails” are composed of units called nucleotides, which are made of two substances: a phosphate group and a sugar. The “rungs” of a DNA molecule stand for small chemical bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). What does DNA look like?Īs you have seen in many images, including the one above, DNA looks like a twisted ladder. All of that and so much more stem from our understanding of this structure. ![]() You have probably heard stuff about cloning or the production of insulin in a lab. This has led to remarkable discoveries and so many practical uses, especially in the medical field. Since then, scientists have engaged in an authentic race into knowing more about it. By 1952, it was confirmed that DNA is the molecule responsible for the passing of genetic information. In 1869, Friedrich Miescher was the first scientist to isolate nucleic acid. This is due to a characteristic that sets it apart from any other molecule: the ability to copy itself. Almost every single one of the cells in the body contains an exact copy of DNA. It is passed on from one generation to the next and holds the key to our survival on the planet. Pixabay.ĭNA is the chemical molecule that carries genetic information in all living things. Perhaps you remember it from school, but do you remember everything there is to it? This hard-to-pronounce name comes from its structure, a sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate backbone (acid) with units called bases sticking out from it located in the cell’s nucleus. Interesting facts about DNA and what it stands forĭNA stands for “deoxyribonucleic acid,” and it is one of the most fascinating things you ever saw.It sends blueprints to the cell to manufacture proteins.Defining what DNA stands for: the Double helix.DNA stands for nucleotides: The four bases of DNA.DNA stands for deoxyribose and acid: The “backbone” of DNA. ![]()
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