BiologyCode 5090
DNA
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- Describe the structure of a DNA molecule: (a) it is a double helix of two strands coiled round each other (b) each strand is a chain of nucleotides (c) every nucleotide has one base (A, T, C, G; full names are not required) (d) the strands are held together by bonds between pairs of bases (e) base pairing never varies: A always with T, and C always with G
- Define a gene as the section of a DNA molecule that holds the code for making a protein
- Explain that DNA governs what a cell does because it controls which proteins the cell makes, including enzymes
- State that the sequence of bases within a gene dictates the sequence of amino acids required to build a particular protein (detailed knowledge of the make-up of nucleotides is not required)
- Understand that alternative amino acid sequences result in protein molecules taking on different shapes