DNA is the genetic material found in the nucleus of cells and most viruses. It takes the form of a twisted ladder shape called a double helix, with rungs made of bonded base pairs that provide instructions for building cell structures. The four bases that make up DNA are adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DNA
Jennifer. J. Farr (Modified by Robin Lea)

2. What is DNA?
It is the genetic material
that makes up all cellular
organisms and most
viruses.

3. Where do you find
DNA?
In the nucleus of every
cell in a living
organism.

4. Does DNA have a
special job?
It is a molecule that
provides instructions
(blueprints) for building
different pieces of a cell.

5. What does a DNA
molecule look like?
It takes on the
form of a twisted
ladder shape that
scientists call a
“double-helix”

6. Why are the rungs of the
“double helix” of the DNA
different colors?
Each color represents
a letter of the DNA
alphabet:
A, C, T, and G

7. Why are the rungs of the
“double helix” of the DNA
split?
The DNA alphabet letters
bond together:
A always bonds with T
C always bonds with G

8. What do the letters of the
DNA alphabet represent?
A = adenine
T = thymine
C = cytosine
These are all
G = guanine called BASES

9. Click on the
Double-Helix to go
to a web site where
you can build a
DNA strand that
contains five base
pairs

10. Now that you have learned a
little about DNA why not
watch a movie that features
genes and DNA?
(Click on this bag of
popcorn to view the
movie.)

11. Now that you are a DNA expert
you can do an experiment to
extract your own DNA!!
(click on the picture)