section

8.2

Structure of DNA

Teacher Notes and Answers

SECTION 2
Instant Replay
1. Thymine, adenine, cytosine, guanine should be

circled.
2. the three-dimensional shape of DNAa double
helix
3. CATGC
Vocabulary Check
1. Entire drawing should be labeled double helix.

G-C and/or T/A pair should be labeled basepairing rules. A nitrogen-containing base plus
phosphate (P) plus sugar (hexagon) should
together be labeled nucleotide.

The Big Picture

2. phosphate group, deoxyribose (sugar), and a

nitrogen-containing base
3. adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine
4. AGTGCAT

Interactive Reader

section

8.2

Structure of DNA
Key Concept DNA structure is the same in all organisms.

DNA is composed of four types

of nucleotides.

VISUAL VOCAB

Since the 1920s scientists have known the chemical parts of

the DNA molecule. DNA is a very long polymer, or chain of
repeating units. The units, or monomers, that make up DNA
are called nucleotides (NOO-klee-oh-tydz).
Each nucleotide
N
NH
2
HC
N C group, a base, and a sugar.
has three parts: a phosphate
N
2
HC N
CNH
NH2
C
HC
HN
C NH2 of DNA nucleotides:
HC C C types
A
There are four different
cytoHN
C CN
CN
A
HN C
HN adenine
A
CN
sine (C), thymine (T),
(G). All of
N (A), and guanine
A
CN CH N
CH
N
CH
the nucleotides contain aN phosphate
group and a deoxyribose
CH
sugar. They differ in their nitrogen-containing bases, as
shown in the table below.
Notice that thymine (T) and cytosine (C) have nitrogenN
O
containing bases with
structure. Adenine (A)
HC aNsingle-ring
N C CO
N
O
and guanine (G) areHC
bases
with
a
double-ring
structure.
HC
C C O
HN
HC
G
HN C CC CC NH
A single molecule ofHN
DNA is madeGof billions
C
HNhuman
C N C NH
G
NH
CN
G
NH
of nucleotides.
N C NH2

The small units, or monomers, that

make up a strand of DNA are called
nucleotides. Nucleotides have
three parts.
phosphate group

nitrogen-containing
base

deoxyribose (sugar)

phosphate group: one phosphorus

with four oxygens
deoxyribose: ring-shaped sugar
nitrogen-containing base: a single
or double ring built around nitrogen
atoms and carbon atoms

C
CNH2
NH
NH22 Bases of DNA
The Four Nitrogen-Containing
N

PYRIMIDINES = SINGLE RING

Name of Base
thymine

cytosine

Structural
O Formula
CH3
CH3
CH3
CH3

O
OC
OC
C C
C C
C
CHC
HC
HC
HC

NH
NH
NHC
NH
C
NHC
NH C
NH
NH

NH2
NH2
NHC2
NH
C2 N
HC C N C
N
HC C N
HCHC NHCC
HC
HC NH C
HC NH
HC NH

CO
CO
CO
CO

Model

T
TT
T

N
NH2
HC N
C
HC
PURINES = DOUBLEHN
RING C C NH2
C
N
HN C
Name of Base
Structural
CN Formula
N
CH
N CH
NN
NH2 2
NH
HC
HC
adenine
CC
C
C
HN
HN
CC
NN
NN CH
CH

guanine
O
O
O
O

C
CC
C

Circle the names of the four nucleotides shown

table above.

N
HC
N
C
HC
C
HN
HN C
C
N
N
NN
HC
HC
CC
HN
HN
C
C
in the
NN

McDougal Littell Biology

G
G

NH
NH

GG

C
CNH2
NHO2O
CC
CC
NH22
NH

CC NH
NH
CH3 3 CCNH2
CH
NH2 CC CCO
O
C N
HCC NH
HC
NH
N
HC
C O
HC
HC NH C O
HC NH
NH2
NH
2

AA

O
C O
C
NH
NH

O
O
C NH
CH3 C C NH
C CO
CH3 C
HC NH C CO
HC NH
OO

Model A

T
T

TT
C
C

Watson and Crick developed an accurate* model

of DNAs three-dimensional structure.
For a long time, scientists hypothesized that DNA in all organisms was
made up of equal amounts of the four nucleotides. Then Erwin Chargaff
found that the proportion of the bases differs from organism to organism. In the DNA of each organism, the amount of A equals the amount
of T, and the amount of C equals the amount of G.
Then in the early 1950s, the scientists Rosalind Franklin and Maurice
Wilkins used x-rays to make a kind of photograph of DNA molecules.
These photographs did not show what DNA looks like, but they showed
patterns that gave clues about DNAs structure.
Around the same time, the scientists James Watson and
Francis Crick were working together to figure out DNA structure, too. Based on the work of other scientists, they hypothesized that DNA might have a spiral, or helix (HEE-lihks),
shape. Watson and Crick saw Franklins photos and used the
information to complete their model of DNA structure.
In April 1953 Watson and Crick published their DNA model
in a paper in the journal Nature. They found that nucleotides
fit together in a double helix. Two strands of DNA wrap
around each other like a twisted ladder.
What new information did Watson and Crick contribute to science?

Watson and Cricks model showed

DNA in the shape of a double helix.

Nucleotides always pair in the same way.

Each side of the DNA double helix is a long strand of phosphates and
sugars, connected by covalent bonds. The two sides of the double helix
are held to each other by hydrogen bonds that form between the bases in
the middle. Each individual hydrogen bond is weak, but together they
are strong enough to hold the shape of DNA. The bases of the two DNA
strands always bond according to the base pairing rules: T pairs with A,
and C pairs with G.
The bases pair in this way because of hydrogen bonds. Notice that
A and T form two hydrogen bonds, whereas C and G form three.
To help remember the rules of base pairing, notice that the letters G
and C have a similar shape. Once you know that G and C pair together,
you know that A and T also pair together. If the sequence of bases on
one DNA strand is CTGA, the other DNA strand will be GACT.
* Academic Vocabulary
accurate correct
Interactive Reader

Base Pairing Rules

The base pairing rules describe how nucleotides form pairs in

DNA. T always pairs with A, and G always pairs with C.
T

A
G

This ribbonlike part

represents the phosphate groups and
deoxyribose sugar molecules that make up
DNAs backbone.

hydrogen bond

covalent bond

A
G

The nitrogen-containing bases bond

in the middle to
form the rungs of
the DNA ladder.

C
A

What sequence of bases would pair with GTACG?

8.2

Vocabulary Check

nucleotide
double helix

base pairing rules

Mark It Up
Go back and highlight
each sentence that
has a vocabulary
word in bold.

1. Label the drawing at the right with the terms nucleotide, base pairing
rules, and double helix. Write each term and draw a line that connects
the term to the appropriate part of the drawing.

8.2

D
D

P
D

P
C

P
T

A
P

2. What are the three different parts of a nucleotide?

D

P
G

D
P

McDougal Littell Biology

D
D

C
P

C D

P
G

DG
P

D
T

4. Use the base pairing rules to write the sequence that would pair with
the following sequence: TCACGTA

D
P

P
D

T
P

D A

The Big Picture

3. What are the names of the four nucleotides?