NATURE'S INGENIOUS STRUCTURE

We all know DNA stores bio-info. using which a life constructs itself. The structure of DNA in unique and utilitarian. It has the shape of twisted long going staircase and the information is coded in the rungs. This spiral ladder is also called double helix structure.

Here the sides or strands are made up of phosphate and sugar molecules.The rungs or the bases are made up of (nitrogen based molecules ) adenine-thymine pair and guanine -cytosine pair which carries info. DNA has around 3 billion bases. Hence it is very long. It made into super coil called chromosomes and stored in cell's nuclei compactly. Human's have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

DNA reminds us the old cassette tapes. Audio and video are written on the tape in magnetic form, the tape is coiled and enclosed in a glass pool.

Let us see the advantages of the double helix.

1. The twisted ladder shape helps to make the super coil which compactly fit in the nucleus of the cell.
2. The two long strands protect the base pairs.
3. A pair of strands and the bases in pairs means information in duplicate. If error creeps in, it can be corrected.

4. DNA must be unzipped in the middle, than the info. is read and copies are made.

99% of the DNA info. is same in all the human beings.

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