Student Exploration Building DNA
Student Exploration Building DNA
Student Exploration Building DNA
Vocabulary: double helix, DNA, enzyme, mutation, nitrogenous base, nucleoside, nucleotide,
replication
1. Look at the DNA molecule shown at right. What does it look like?
The DNA strands separated the enzyme called DNA polymerase which copies
each strand using the base-pairing rule.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Building DNA Gizmo™ allows you to construct a DNA
molecule and go through the process of DNA replication.
Examine the components that make up a DNA molecule.
How many different nitrogenous bases do you see? Four different nitrogenous bases
Note: The names of these nitrogenous bases are adenine (red), cytosine (yellow), guanine
(blue), and thymine (green).
“Daughter DNA molecules”
A T
2. Take a picture: Click the camera ( ) at upper right
to take a snapshot of your DNA molecule. Open a C G
blank word-processing document, and select
paste. Label this image “Original DNA molecule.” T A
4. Fill in: Write the name of the nitrogenous base that joins to each of the bases below:
Adenine (A) joins to Thymine (T) Thymine (T) joins to Adenine (A)
“Daughter DNA molecules”
Cytosine (C) joins to Guanine (G) Guanine (G) joins to Cytosine (C)
1. Observe: An enzyme is a protein that facilitates certain cell processes. Click Release
enzyme to release DNA helicase. What does this enzyme do to the DNA molecule?
A. Notice that two groups of Nucleotides appear on the right. What are the three parts
B. Drag one of the nucleotides to a corresponding nitrogenous base on one of the two
strands. What is the role of DNA polymerase in this process? The main function of
DNA polymerase is to make DNA from nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA.
3. Build: Complete the two molecules of DNA by dragging nucleotides to their corresponding
locations. When you have finished, compare the two completed daughter DNA molecules.
What do you notice about the two molecules? They both shows the DNA molecule strand
4. Take a picture: Click the camera to take a snapshot of the DNA molecules, and paste the
image into your document. Label this image “Daughter DNA molecules.”
6. Extend your thinking: Sometimes errors called mutations occur during DNA replication.
What are some of the possible consequences of mutations?