BIOL 261 Chapter Notes - Chapter Essay 3: Phys.Org, The Double Helix, Dna
Document Summary
Could you artificially encode other types of information/data (such as a book) in a synthetic piece of. Dna has a double helix structure with four base unit nucleotides, a, c, g and t on one strand and complimentary units on the other. Dna has two polynucleotide strands that twist around each other to form a double stranded helix, which enables dna to store and transmit crucial information from generation to generation. The double helix shape can split apart, thus resulting in two complimentary strands, which can then act as accurate templates for new sets of dna to be replicated. These four base pairs form three word letters called codons that encodes genetic information depending on the specific order the nucleotides are in. Each individual codon codes for specific amino acids. And gene, basic physical and functional unit of hereditary, is formed by the specific sequence of these bases.
