How to Make a DNA Model

DNA is the basic building block of every living thing. DNA is so important that every school requires its students to understand how it works. Making models to demonstrate the process is a common biology lab project. This model makes the process easy to understand.

Things You'll Need

• ½ package of licorice sticks
• 1 package of small colored gum drops
• 1 handful of toothpicks

Instructions

1. Choose a handful of toothpicks and 4 different colors of gum drops. Your finished model will look like a twisting ladder. The licorice uprights of the ladder will depict the sugar/phosphate of the DNA. The gum drop rungs of the ladder depict the nitrogen-containing bases.

2. Draw a legend to help you remember which colors of gum drops represent which base. You will need a color for Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine bases. The pairing is: Adenine with Thymine and Guanine with Cytosine. The pairs complement each other.

3. Use a toothpick to attach a gum drop to a licorice stick.

4. Push the gum drops close to the licorice stick, leaving enough room on the side to add a second DNA strand (licorice stick). You now have two bases in the middle of one toothpick. The ends of the toothpick are attached to each licorice stick.

5. Use a complementary pairing to make a second DNA strand. Look at the color of the gum drop you have already used. Look at the name of the base the color represents. Select a colored gum drop that depicts a complement to the gum drop you have.

6. Attach another licorice stick to the second spot on the top of the double helix "ladder."

7. Continue matching complementary base pairs until the DNA ladder is finished.

8. Slowly twist the ladder counter clockwise to depict a double helix.