Question

Submit at least one or two images of your model with your assignment, or you can draw a 3-D image of the DNA model.

1. What is DNA? Why is it important to every living thing?

2. What two substances make the backbone of the DNA molecule?

3. Are the backbones of the DNA molecule identical in all living things?

4. Are the base pairs always the same?

5. If there were five guanine bases in one strand of your model of DNA, how many cytosine bases would there be in the complementary strand?

6. If there were 10 bases of thymine in one strand of your model of DNA, how many adenine bases would there be in the complementary strand?

7. If the DNA molecule is so similar among all living things (the pairings are always the same and that there are only six components that makeup DNA), why is there so much diversity of life?

Answer 1

Assignment: Making a DNA Model Exploration

Submit at least one or two images of your model with your assignment, or you can draw a 3-D image of the DNA model.

Questions

What is DNA? Why is it important to every living thing?

DNA is the heredity material present in all living things. They carry the genetic instructions that is passed from parents to their off springs. It is a long molecule that holds the genetic code of all living things, including viruses.

What two substances make the backbone of the DNA molecule?

The two substances that make the backbone of the DNA molecule are sugar and phosphate.

Are the backbones of the DNA molecule identical in all living things?

The backbone of the DNA molecule in all living things are the same. They consist of the same sugar-phosphate combination and they also serve the same function.

Are the base pairs always the same?

The base pairs of the DNA molecule is also the same in all living things. Base pairs are not randomly combined. Each base has a corresponding base.

If there were five guanine bases in one strand of your model of DNA, how many cytosine bases would there be in the complementary strand?

For every G there is a C. So if there were five guanine bases in one strand of your model of DNA, there should be 5 cytosine bases on the complementary strand.

If there were 10 bases of thymine in one strand of your model of DNA, how many adenine bases would there be in the complementary strand?

For every A there is a T attached to it. So if there were 10 bases of thymine in one strand of your model of DNA, there should be 10 bases of adenine on the complementary strand.

If the DNA molecule is so similar among all living things (the pairings are always the same and that there are only six components that make up DNA), why is there so much diversity of life? Although base pairs and the backbone of the DNA molecule is the same in all living things, there is is a diversity of life. The amount of each type of pair present in the different living organisms are also not the same.

Answer 2

1.Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA is the heredity material present in all living things. They carry the genetic instructions that is passed from parents to their off springs. It is a long molecule that holds the genetic code of all living things, including viruses.

It is important because it is used to instruct how the organism will grow, develop, function and reproduce. This is the reason why DNA is often referred to the blue print of life because the DNA determines certain characteristics of an organism.

2. The two substances that make the backbone of the DNA molecule are sugar and phosphate. Deoxyribose is actually a modified form of a certain sugar called ribose. The phosphate is attached to the sugar, making a sugar-phosphate-sugar chain.

3. In terms of components, the backbone of the DNA molecule in all living things are the same. They consist of the same sugar-phosphate combination and they also serve the same function.

4. The base pairs of the DNA molecule is also the same in all living things. Base pairs are not randomly combined. Each base has a corresponding base. There are four chemical bases in DNA which are adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T) and cytosine (C). Each adenine is attached to a thymine and each guanine is attached to a cytosine.


5. Like mentioned above, the pairs are set in the DNA molecule. For every G there is a C. So if there were five guanine bases in one strand of your model of DNA, there should be 5 cytosine bases on the complementary strand.

6. For every A there is a T attached to it. So if there were 10 bases of thymine in one strand of your model of DNA, there should be 10 bases of adenine on the complementary strand.

7. Although base pairs and the backbone of the DNA molecule is the same in all living things, there is is a diversity of life. Although base pairs are the same, the sequence the pairs are arranged in is not the same. Also, the amount of each type of pair present in the different living organisms are also not the same.