How to Make a DNA Nucleotide Model
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) forms the genetic instructions for the multitude of life processes found in living organisms. These long molecules are built from subunits called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of the sugar deoxyribose attached to a phosphate group and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. The sequence of these bases is translated into mRNA, from which amino acids are linked to form the proteins used throughout the organism. The phosphate group links the nucleotide with another nucleotide, forming the sugar-phosphate backbone of the DNA.
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Things You'll Need
- Small styrofoam balls
- Toothpicks
- Paintbrush
- Black paint
- Yellow paint
- Red paint
- Blue paint
- Green paint
- Purple paint
Instructions
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Paint four styrofoam balls black to represent deoxyribose sugar and four styrofoam balls yellow to represent the phosphate groups. Paint one styrofoam ball each of the remaining colors (red, blue, green, and purple) to represent the four possible bases in the nucleotide (adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine).
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With a toothpick, attach a black styrofoam ball representing the deoxyribose sugar to a yellow styrofoam ball representing the phosphate group. This structure represents the sugar-phosphate nucleotide "vertebra" that joins to form the "backbone" of DNA. Repeat for the other black and yellow styrofoam balls.
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Using a toothpick, attach one of the styrofoam balls representing the bases to the black styrofoam ball at a right angle to the yellow ball representing the phosphate group. Repeat for the other bases and sugar-phosphate models. All four DNA nucleotides are then represented by the four models constructed. To connect the nucleotides together to form a DNA chain, use a toothpick to connect the phosphate group of one nucleotide to the sugar of another nucleotide. To construct double-stranded DNA, align the bases so that adenine pairs with thymine, and cytosine pairs with guanine.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit dna image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com
