Salk Institute Mobile Lab What is DNA? Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid Long molecule made of different chemicals called Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

What is DNA?

• Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid• Long molecule made of different chemicals

called Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine

ATGCCTAAGTACCGTA

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

What is DNA?

• Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid• Long molecule made of different chemicals

called Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine

• Shaped like a twisted ladder– Double Helix

Career Spotlight!Molecular Geneticists

study the structure of DNA involved in different

diseases

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

What does DNA do?

• Your DNA determines your PHENOTYPE– Instruction book for your cells

My DNA

• Each instruction is called a GENE• Genes are the recipes for Proteins

• All your genes together is called your GENOME• How your cells read your Genome depends in part

on your (and your cells’) environment

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

Reading DNA

• PORFAVORNOHABLECUANDOESTOYHABLANDO.

• ATACGGGCTAGCCTGACGTCAGTTTAAAAGCCCTG.

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

TGACGTAAAGCTTGACCTAPUT A HAT ON YOUR HEAD

PUT A BAT ON YOUR HEADTGACATAAAGCTTGACCTAPUT A BAT ON YOUR HEAD MUTATION!

Reading DNA

• MUTATIONS are changes in your GENES that may be inherited– Even small changes in DNA can have big effects– Human DNA is ALL >99% identical!

Career Spotlight!Genetic Counselors

help people figure out if they might pass a disease mutation to their future children

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

Where is DNA?

• DNA is found in the cells of every living organism– There are different types of cells

• Animal cells

• Plant cells

• Bacteria cells

} DNA found in nucleus (Eukaryotic)

- DNA floating loose (Prokaryotic)

•Salk Institute Mobile Lab

What color is DNA?