Essential Idea:
The structure of DNA allows
efficient storage of genetic information
Understandings:
- The nucleic acids DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides
- DNA differs from RNA in the number of strands present, the base composition and the type of pentose
- DNA is a double helix molecule made of two antiparallel strands of nucleotides linked by hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs
Applications:
- Crick and Watson’s elucidation of the structure of DNA using model making
Skills:
- Drawing simple diagrams of the structure of single nucleotides of DNA and RNA, using circles, pentagons and rectangles to represent phosphates, pentoses and bases