Final answer:
Constructing a DNA model aids understanding by providing a tangible representation of DNA's structure, illustrating how its components interact to form the double helix, and demonstrating DNA replication's semi-conservative process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Making a model of DNA can significantly enhance the understanding of its structure because it allows for a visual and tactile representation of how the individual components of DNA—the nucleotides, sugars, phosphate groups, and nitrogenous bases—come together to form the iconic double helix. Models help to illustrate concepts such as the antiparallel nature of the two DNA strands, the complementary base pairing governed by Chargaff's rules, and the way in which the model predicts the molecule's replication and protein coding capacity. Furthermore, by constructing a model, one can better understand the contributions of key scientists like Watson, Crick, and Franklin, who used X-ray crystallography data to infer the DNA structure.
The process of DNA replication is conceptualized through the model as well, showing how the two strands separate and serve as templates for the formation of new complementary strands, thus highlighting the semi-conservative nature of replication. The act of physically assembling a DNA model cements these complex processes in a student's mind and allows for a more complete grasp of the molecule's role in heredity and cellular function.