Essay on Chemistry and the Structure of DNA - 590 Words

Genetics relies on chemistry to explain phenomena related to the field. The structure of DNA relies on chemistry. In fact, when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, they did so by building models based on the laws of chemistry. Chemistry also relates heavily to the structure and function of one of the main products of DNA: protein. Chemistry dictates the structure of DNA. DNA is a polymer of monomers called nucleic acids. These are made of a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group and a sugar. It is the negative charge on the phosphate group that makes DNA an acid. There are 4 different bases: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. In groups of three, these four bases can code for any protein coded for in an†¦show more content†¦These are covalent bonds that involve removing a water molecule from each amino acid in a process called dehydration synthesis. The second level of organization involves the backbones of the amino acids. Hydrogen bonds form between the phosphate and carboxyl groups to form either hydrophobic alpha helices or hydrophilic beta pleated sheets. Alpha helices are hydrophobic because the coiled nature of the amino acids shields any hydrophilic parts of the amino acids from the environment. Proteins that are made to span a cell membrane will be made of both alpha helices and beta pleated sheets. The proteins are made so that alpha helices are within the membrane the beta pleated sheets are outside the membrane. This is because cell membranes are made of amphipathic molecules called phospholipids that form a bilayer. The third level involves the interactions between R groups on the amino acids. These could be ionic interactions, covalent bonding or hydrophobic or hydrophilic reactions. A specific type of covalent bond is called a disulfide bridge. This is formed when two sulfyhydryl groups within two amino acids’ R groups interact to form a covalent bond. The interactions between the R groups forms a three dimensional structure dependent on the chemical interactions within the molecule. Some proteins will have a fourth level of protein structure. This involves the aggregation of several polypeptide chains to form an overall three dimensionalShow MoreRelatedThe Contributions Of James Dewey Watson1036 Words   |  5 PagesKalckar and microbiologist Ole Maalà ¸e shortly thereafter, and studied bacterial viruses to analyze the structure of DNA. In the spring of 1951, he traveled with Kalckar to the Zoology Station at Naples. there he met Maurice Wilkins and for the first time saw the X-ray diffraction pattern of crystalline DNA which prompted his to change the orientation of his research to the structural chemistry of nucleic and proteins. 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