 HAPPY MONDAY 
Bellwork: In 30 words, describe the structure of
DNA (what is it made of). If possible, describe
what it does and how it does it.
*use your biomolecule chart?*
DNA & Replication Notecards
Pre-AP Biology
Due Tuesday (10/14/14)
DNA
Nucleotide
Nucleic Acid
Deoxyribose
Nitrogenous Base
Hydrogen Bond
Adenine
Cytosine
Guanine
Thymine
Purine
Pyrimidine
Double Helix
Antiparallel
Semi-Conservative
DNA Polymerase
Helicase
DNA Replication
Complementary Strand
Essential Question: What are
the components of DNA?
A lesson from Jurassic Park...
The nucleic acids we’ll talk about in
biology are DNA and RNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid =
DNA
DNA is the biomolecule used to pass
on genetic information to the next
generation.
So…your DNA is half mom, half dad!
Oswald Avery discovered that the nucleic
acid DNA stores and transmits the genetic
information from one generation to the
next.
DNA is a long molecule made
up of nucleotides.
Each nucleotide is composed
of a 5-carbon sugar called
deoxyribose, a phosphate
group, and a nitrogenous
base.
Phosphate Group = has
phosphorus = P
Nitrogenous Base = has
nitrogen = N
The monomer of DNA is called a
nucleotide, which has:
1. 5-carbon sugar (deoxyribose)
2. phosphate group
3. nitrogenous base.
This means that the elements in a
nucleic acid are:
C, H, O, N, and P
DRAW AND
LABEL
There are 4 kinds of nitrogenous bases in DNA.
Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, & Thymine
The backbone of a DNA
chain is formed from the
sugar and phosphate
groups of each nucleotide.
Nucleotides can be joined
together in any order.
The observation that [A] = [T] and [G] = [C]
became known as Chargaff’s rule.
In a strand of DNA, adenine and thymine pair
together while cytosine and guanine pair together.
This pairing of bases is known as base pairing.
The differently shaped
bases are bonded together
antiparallel to one another
(5’3’)
Sage and Scribe
Can you draw a picture of DNA using 6
nucleotides?
Watson and Crick
discovered the true
shape of DNA.
The shape of DNA is
a double helix.
A double helix looks
like a twisted
ladder or a spiral
staircase.
DNA molecules in prokaryotic organisms are found in
the cytoplasm.
The DNA molecule in a prokaryotic organism is
circular in shape.
Eukaryotic organisms
possess 1000X more
DNA than prokaryotic
organisms.
Eukaryotic DNA is
generally located in the
nucleus in the form of
chromosomes.
All eukaryotic organisms
do not carry the same
number of
chromosomes.
Chromosomes are not clearly visible during most of
the cell cycle. When the DNA is “unraveled” and
doing its job, it is known as chromatin.
However, during mitosis (M phase), the chromatin
coils and condenses to form chromosomes.
Important to
Remember:
All living things have
DNA!
Scientists refer to this
as a “common genetic
code”
The sequence of bases
matters! The order
determines the
organism.
Think-Pair-Share:
How do you think
DNA copies itself?