Full form of DNA: The Full form of DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid. Here Deoxy means lack of an oxygen atom, Ribo means ribose sugar, Nucleic found in the nucleus of the cell, and Acid contains negatively charged acidic phosphate ion. Deoxyribonucleic acid is hereditary material for humans and other living beings. DNA carries the genetic information for the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms. Deoxyribonucleic acid consists of four bases, which are Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, and Cytosine.
Johannes Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss biologist was the first man to recognized and named DNA in 1869 when he was working on white blood cells i.e. WBC. James Watson and Francis Crick later discovered the double helix structure of a molecule of DNA using experimental evidence. Finally, it was concluded that DNA is responsible for processing a human being’s genetic information.
The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases
1. Adenine (A),
2. Guanine (G)
3. Cytosine (C),
4. Thymine (T).
There are around 3 billion bases found in Human DNA and more than 99% of those bases are of similar structure in all people. The order, or sequence, of these bases, depicts the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences.
Johannes Friedrich Miescher, a Swiss biologist was the first man to recognized and named DNA in 1869 when he was working on white blood cells i.e. WBC. James Watson and Francis Crick later discovered the double helix structure of a molecule of DNA using experimental evidence. Finally, it was concluded that DNA is responsible for processing a human being’s genetic information.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid is of various types such as A-form DNA, B-form DNA, and Z-form DNA. These three types are given below in a detailed manner.
A form DNA is a right-handed DNA and dehydrated DNA, it takes the form of an A that protects DNA under active conditions i.e. desiccation, protein binding and it also removes the DNA solvent.
In 1953, Watson and Crick in their proposed a model for a double-helical structure for DNA. They proposed two strands of DNA each in a right-hand helix wound around the same axis. The two strands are held together by H‑bonding between their bases. These bases fit in the double-helical model if pyrimidine on one strand is always paired with purine on the other.
Z form DNA is left-handed DNA. It forms when the DNA is in an alternating purine-pyrimidine sequence such as GCGCGC, and the G and C nucleotides are in different conformations, leading to the zig-zag pattern, Alexander Rich and Andres Wang discovered it. Z form of DNA is located ahead of a gene‘s starting site and therefore it is assumed to play a role in controlling the gene.
1. DNA influences the metabolic reactions of the cells with the help of hormones, enzymes, and specific RNAs.
2. DNA is the genetic material that holds all the inherited information coded in its nitrogenous bases structure.
3. DNA passes the genetic information from one cell to its daughter cells from one generation to the next.
4. Every person has a unique DNA that doesn’t fit with others. This property of DNA is used in DNA fingerprinting, this method is used to identify a person from their DNA.
5. Apart from storing genetic information, DNA is involved in some process which is given below.
99 per cent of DNA is noncoding remaining one per cent of DNA is made up of protein-coding genes. Noncoding DNA doesn’t give instructions to make protein. Earlier, Scientists thought noncoding DNA is ‘Junk’ with no known purpose. Later, it becomes clear that at least some of them are integral to the function of cells, particularly the control of gene activity.
Example: Noncoding DNA has sequences, these sequences act as regulatory elements and these elements determine when and where genes are turned on and off.
It is a process by which the base order of a nucleotide sequence is elucidated. The commonly used method for DNA sequencing involves the use of chain-terminating dideoxynucleotides
Application of DNA Sequencing: Use of nucleotides in DNA Sequencing is to contain deoxyribonucleic acid to stop DNA replication in the preparation of samples for base sequencing.
Chromosomes are present in the nucleus of the cell, a thread-like structure of DNA molecules is present in it. Every chromosome is made up of DNA, tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support the structure of DNA.
Every chromosome has a constriction point known as centromere, which divides the chromosome into two sections or arms-
Humans contain 23 pairs of chromosomes and a total of 46 chromosomes. Twenty-two of these pairs is called autosomes present in males and females. The twenty-third pair is different in males and females and is also called the sex chromosome. Females have two copies of the X chromosome i.e. XX, while males have one X and one Y chromosome i.e. XY.
Q What is the full form of DNA?
The full form of DNA is Deoxyribonucleic acid.
Q Who discovered DNA?
DNA was discovered by Swiss biologist Johannes Friedrich Miescher in 1869.
Q What are the types of DNA?
DNA is of three types which are A form DNA, B form DNA, and Z form DNA.
Q What is the basic function of DNA?
The basic function of DNA is it passes the genetic information from one cell to its daughter cells from one generation to the next.
Q What are the four bases of DNA?
The four bases of DNA are Adenine, Guanine, Thymine, and Cytosine.
Q What do you mean by Nucleic in DNA?
In DNA, Nucleic is found in the nucleus of the cell, and Acid contains negatively charged acidic phosphate ions.
Q What do you mean by Ribo in DNA?
In DNA, Ribo means ribose sugar.