How to Make a Human DNA Model Using Clay
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) contains the code for constructing the proteins necessary for life processes. This code is passed on to offspring, making DNA the hereditary material of life. The structure of DNA consists of two helical strands composed of a deoxyribose sugar, phosphate, and one of four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine. The deoxyribose is attached to another deoxyribose by the phosphate group forming the backbone of each strand of DNA. The bases of each strand are hydrogen bonded together in a precise pairing of adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine. The sequence of these bases in the DNA strand provides the information necessary for the construction of proteins.
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Things You'll Need
- Floral wire
- Two-inch diameter pipe
- Colored modeling clay (black, yellow, red, blue, green, and yellow)
- Toothpicks
- Floral foam
Instructions
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1
Loosely wrap two pieces of floral wire along a 2-inch cylindrical object such as a pipe to give the wire the characteristic helical shape of DNA. You should be able to slide the wire off the pipe and not unwrap it.
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2
Roll the black modeling clay into 20 1-inch balls to represent the deoxyribose.
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3
Roll the yellow modeling clay into 20 1/2-inch balls to represent phosphates that connect the deoxyriboses in the DNA backbone.
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4
Slide a ball of black clay toward one end of the floral wire. Follow this by sliding a yellow ball beneath the black ball of clay. This is the backbone of the first nucleotide at the top of the DNA model. Continue until 10 balls of black clay alternate with 10 balls of yellow clay on the floral wire. There should be a few inches of floral wire exposed when done. Repeat this for the second piece of floral wire.
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5
Roll the red, blue, green, and yellow modeling clay each into five balls 3/4-inch in diameter.
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6
Pair the red balls of clay (adenine) with the blue balls of clay (thymine). Pair the green balls of clay (cytosine) with the yellow balls of clay (guanine). Connect the pairs of balls together with a toothpick. The ends of the toothpick should stick out of the pairs of clay on either side.
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7
Align the floral wires so they form a double helix spiraling around each other. Attach a pair of clay balls representing a DNA base pair to a black ball on one of the floral wires using the exposed toothpick on one end of the clay balls. Insert the exposed end of the toothpick on the other end of the pair of clay balls into the corresponding black ball on the other wire. Carefully repeat this until all base pairs are attached to each other.
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8
Insert the exposed ends of the floral wire into the floral foam pointing toward each other.
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