Laboratory Investigation DESCRIPTIVE

Modeling DNA
Introduction
DNA is found in the chromosomes of all
living things. The structure of this molecule
encodes the genetic information that 5. Use Models When you construct
controls the development of each living your model of DNA, which materials will you
use to represent the rungs of a DNA molecule?
thing. When scientists figured out the
What will the toothpicks represent in your
structure of DNA, they built a model. The
model? The toothpicks will represent the
structure of this model helped them see how rungs of a DNA model.
DNA can carry information and be copied to
make new DNA molecules. In this 6. Apply Concepts Which bases pair
investigation, you will examine the structure together to form the rungs of a DNA molecule?
of DNA by building your own DNA model. T+A and G+C
Procedure
Skills Focus 1. Study the figure shown. It illustrates
Use Models the shape of the DNA molecule. DNA is a
double helix. The two helices of the DNA
Materials molecule form what is often referred to as a
“twisted ladder” or double helix. The sides of
• 2 strips of cardboard, 38 cm ( 3 cm
the ladder are made up of alternating sugar
• toothpicks molecules and phosphate groups. The sugar is
• tape a5-carbon deoxyribose sugar. Each “rung” of
• colored gumdrops the DNA ladder is made up of two nitrogen
• metric ruler bases. Together, a sugar, a phosphate group,
• crayons and a base make up a nucleotide. A nucleotide
• modeling clay is the basic unit of DNA.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. Ask Questions What are some 2. There are four nitrogenous bases:
questions you would ask prior to starting this adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and
activity? How precise should this be? Where thymine (T). In a DNA molecule, adenine
should I make this? usually bonds only with thymine. Cytosine
usually bonds only with guanine.
2. Use Models Which two molecules
make up the “sides” of a DNA molecule? 3. Make a model of the DNA ladder.
deoxyribose sugar and phosphate molecules. Choose two colored crayons and color
the cardboard strips with alternating
3. Use Models When you construct colored boxes. Use one color to
your model of DNA, which materials will you
represent the sugar molecules and label
use to represent the sides of a DNA molecule?
those boxes S. Use the other color for
The Cardboard.
the phosphate groups. Label those boxes
4. Use Models Which molecules make up P.
the “rungs” of a DNA molecule
Adenine.
4. To make the rungs of the ladder, choose Analyze and Conclude
four different-colored gumdrops. Each 1. Predict Given the following bases,
color will represent a particular nitrogen predict to which base each would be
base. For example, a green gumdrop bonded.
might represent an adenine base. A red A
gumdrop might represent a guanine T
base. Be sure to make a key to explain
which color represents which nitrogen G
base. C
5. Stick each gumdrop onto a toothpick.
A will bond with T and G will bond with C.
Determine which nitrogen base
gumdrops can be bonded together. Then 2. Evaluate Models How does the model
join the correct gumdrops together by you constructed differ from an actual
placing a toothpick between them. DNA molecule? My model cannot be
6. Attach the nitrogen base rungs to the anyone's genetic makeup.
ladder by taping the free toothpick ends
3. Infer If you changed the base on one
to the sugar bases.
side of the DNA molecule, what should
7. Continue to add correctly paired
you do to the base on the other side of
nitrogen base gumdrop rungs to the
the molecule? Explain your answer. I
sugar units of the ladder.
would change the other side to the base
8. When your ladder is completed, you
that pairs with the side that was
might want to stand it up by inserting
originally changed. I would do this so
the two strips into mounds of modeling
that the molecule will stay intact.
clay.
4. Draw Conclusions When DNA is
replicated, or copied, the ladder splits as
the bases separate. New units are added
to each half of the DNA molecule. How
does this create two identical molecules
of DNA? When they split, they create a
new matching molecule on the other
side.
5. Apply Concepts What does this activity
tell you about the components that make
up the genetic code of organisms? This
activity helped me see the different
molecules that makeup DNA.