NATS 1575 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, Recombinant Dna, Nylon
Document Summary
Each gene is actually composed of dna specifically designed to carry out the task of controlling the genetic traits of our cells. Dna is constructed as a very large molecule made by linking a series of repeating units called nucleotides. Nucleotide - composed of sugar, a phosphorous - containing group, and a nitrogen-containing molecule called a base. Four types of bases are associated with the dna structure: adenine (a, guanine (g, cytosine (c, thymine (t) The bases on each strand are properly aligned in a double-helix configuration, which is two strands of dna coiled together. As a result base pairing - adenine > thymine, guanine > cytosine. The order of the bases is what distinguishes different dna strands. The sequence of amino acids in a protein chain determines the shape and function of the protein. Each group of three nucleotides in a dna sequence codes for a particular amino acid.