How is genetic information stored in DNA molecule?
It is known, and it is called the central dogma of molecular biology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_dog... http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG... http://www.euchromatin.org/Crick01.htm A DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a DNA molecule or strand, with the capacity to carry information as described by the central dogma of molecular biology. The biopolymers DNA, RNA and proteins, are linear polymers (ie: each monomer is connected to at most two other monomers). The sequence of their monomers effectively encodes information. The transfers of information described by the central dogma are faithful, deterministic transfers, wherein one biopolymer's sequence is used as a template for the construction of another biopolymer with a sequence that is entirely dependent on the original biopolymer's sequence. DNA → RNA → protein The DNA in the nucleus is transcribed into mRNA. The mRNA is translated into a protein. Proteins are responsible for the phenotypes that are seen in all species on the planet.
What is the relationship between the sequence of bases in DNA and the sequence of amino acids in proteins?
Not all the bases in DNA sequence are converted into amino acids sequence in proteins. The central dogma of molecular biology describes the two step process of protein formation, transcription and translation, by which information of genes coded by DNA bases flows into RNA and then into protein. DNA generally consists promoter region that helps to bind transcription machinery, a start codon from where transcription starts and stop codon where transcription ends. So, DNA is transcribed into RNA only between start to stop codon. If we see the structure of transcribed RNA, that still has some coding region (exon) interspaced between noncoding region (intron). Here coding region means the bases that will be translated into amino acid sequence. So, cell processes precursor mRNA into mature mRNA by removing noncoding region (intron). Now, this mature mRNA sequence is converted into amino acid sequence for a protein. Every 3 bases from mRNA (codon) are translated into 1 aminoacid and 3 bases combination for every aminoacid is very unique to each other. So, during translation, the translation machinery assigns amino acid depending on every consecutive 3 bases combination.So, DNA bases have information about amino acid sequence of protein to be formed but not all the bases are converted into amino acid sequence.
How does DNA store information???
DNA encodes information as a series of nucleotides. Nucleotides have 4 different bases. Nucleotides are grouped in threes and this is referred to as a Base Triplet Code. Each BTC will determine which amino acid is added to a protein molecule that is being synthesized.
Where is the information stored in DNA?
Your DNA is found in the nucleus of almost every cell in your body.(red blood cells don't have a nucleus, and gametes only contain half of your genome each)Of course, your DNA is written in the language of nucleotides and codons, so unless you have a pretty good understanding of genetics/biochemistry, you won't be able to read it.We scientists might represent it to look something like this.-AUGAGACCTTACGTATAA-Or maybe like this:-Gly-Arg-Pro-Tyr-Val-StopThat first one is the individual 'rungs on the ladder' of the DNA, whilst the second is the amino acids represented by the 3 nucleotide codons in the first.That second one co-incidentally, is a protein and if you didn't know, proteins are used for a great many functions in the body(not just for building muscle).So yes, you have molecules in(just about) every cell of your body, with that information encoded in them.But that might seem a little abstract, sure, we have these molecules, rich in information and instructions on how to make the building blocks of life, but how do we know what those molecules do? How do we know how these genes interact, when they will produce protein? How do we get from the basic chemistry of molecules reacting with eachother, to organising themselves into much larger structures?That is the subject of biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, where we increase our understanding of the very specifics of this system, every single day.We already know quite a bit, but scientists are hard at work eliminating the gaps in our knowledge.But if you want to go into that, then I would suggest getting a degree in one of those subjects, because it's a bit beyond the scope of this question, and maybe a bit beyond my own understanding in certain areas.
What material "reads" the genetic information carried by DNA and guides the protein-making process?
mRNA takes the information from the DNA and connects with a ribosome. The ribosome then takes the sequence from mRNA and makes the protein associated with the mRNA strand
Why do researchers give DNA information...?
It's unimportant - the only part that affects the coding of proteins is the base. It's a bit like writing a letter - you don't have to tell everyone that you're writing on paper using a pen, it's just assumed and it has no basis on the content.
What is the evidence of DNA as genetic material?
Well once again my Molecular Genetics notes can help here.Early on, both proteins and nucleic acids were candidates for genetic material. Proteins were abundant throughout the cell, had a very wide variety of forms, and had 20 different amino acids whereas DNA only had 4 nucleotides.Frederick Griffith ExperimentIn 1927, Griffith did experiments using Diplococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium that caused pneumonia. He had both virulent strains with smooth capsules (S) and avirulent strains without capsules (R). You could easily tell the colonies apart just by looking at them. The S colonies were harmless when killed by heat.Griffith’s experiment was to mix live R bacteria with heat killed S bacteria (the III and II refer to serotypes you can use to tell populations apart). The R strain was then injected into a rat which then died. Living type III S bacteria was recovered from the body.Avery, McLeod, and McCarty ExperimentYears later in 1944, DNA was identified as the “transforming molecule” that cause the avirulent IIR bacteria to become virulent. This was done by treating IIR bacteria with different extracts from IIIS bacteria. These extracts were made by removing proteins, RNA, and DNA. Transformation occured in all cases except when DNA was removed from the extract.Hersey—Chase ExperimentsThese experiments established DNA as genetic material, not just a transforming agent, through the use of differential labeling of proteins and amino acids.The question is, what is the genetic material in step 2? Note that in the slides below, a “phage ghost” is the empty shell of the virus after the genetic material is inserted.The phage ghosts were labeled with 35S but not with 32P. This means that the DNA was injected but the proteins remained outside. Then, the new viruses that were made were all labeled with the 32P, meaning that the DNA that was injected into the bacterium is what was used to produce the new viruses. This shows that DNA is what contains genetic material, not proteins.DNA as genetic material in eukaryotes and the use of RNAI also have some notes on these two subjects so I figure I might as well throw them in. I think they are clear enough on their own so I’ll just post the slides without my commentary.