Most people have heard of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. Many know that it is like a molecular fingerprint, often used in forensics investigations, and can nail a killer or free a good man. What many people don't know is its role and activity in our bodies, well away from the crime labs. This level will teach you about the basic structure of DNA and skims its roles in modern science.
Here we have the DNA molecule. In real life,all 3 billion
links of this chain fit into the nucleus of most body cells. Some cells do not
contain nuclei. The red blood cell is one of these. It is understandably donut
shaped. It is still affected by DNA, though. DNA has an impact on all cells of
the body, whether or not they have a nucleus. But what does DNA do? It stores
genetic information -- your gender, your hair color, your eye color, and even
your facial features. DNA stores all the information needed to make all parts of
you. In this model, the blue colored beads represent the different bases. These
bases all contain nitrogen, and there are four types of bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and
guanine.
Similar to the way your computer uses 1s and 0s to store data, your cells use
As, Ts, Cs, and Gs to store your genetic data. On the outside of the structure,
there are multi-colored beads. Some of these represent a special kind of
5-carbon sugar called deoxyribose.
It contains only five carbon atoms, as opposed to the 6 carbons in the simple
sugars that we sometimes eat. Each one is attached to one base, either A, T, C,
or G. They are also attached to a small structure called a phosphate
group. This acts as a glue, holding the different 3-part assemblies
together.
The phosphate groups, five-carbon sugars, and nitrogen-containing bases are
attached to each other - they are called nucleotides.
>From 
a certain angle, a nucleotide has
the 5-carbon sugar in the middle, the base branching off to the right, and a
phosphate group stuck to the top. It's possible to stack these up, but then
you'd only be getting half the DNA picture. You'll notice that the DNA molecule
actually has two sides, like a spiraling ladder. Now, if you take a
nucleotide and turn it upside 
down, you'll see the bases can
fit together, and if these opposed structures are stacked up, a double-helix,
or double spiral, is formed.
The body cannot just throw together any two nucleotides as partners.
A certain rule always applies to forming DNA. A base pair has
to consist of compatible bases. Adenine is always attached to thymine,
and cytosine is always attached to guanine as far as DNA goes. This means
if there was an A on one side of the spiral, its partner on the other side must
be a T, and vice-versa. This may seem repetitive, but this redundancy has a
purpose, which will be explained in Level 2.
DNA is used in many ways in science today. Molecular biologists are trying to better society with their research. Some are trying to cure genetic diseases by swapping out the disease-causing gene with a "typical" one. Others are trying to put criminals behind bars by incriminating them with their microscopic fingerprints. Still others use DNA in their experiments just for the expansion of knowledge. DNA is obviously one of the most intriguing and widely used experimental media scientists have ever encountered.
The Cosmic SerpentThe Cosmic Serpent is a personal adventure, a fascinating study of anthropology and ethnopharmacology, and a revolutionary look at how intelligence and consciousness may come into being. In a first-person narrative of scientific discovery that open new perspectives on biology, anthropology, and the limits of rationalism. Jeremy Narby reveals how startlingly different the world around us appears when we open our minds to it.
The Healers Handbook: A Journey Into Hyperspace penetrates the secrets of creation through the mysterious principles of DNA, the biological interface between spirit and matter which determines our actual physical characteristics and maladies.
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