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Molecular Biology > DNA
DEOXYRIBO NUCLEIC ACID
DNA or Deoxyribo nucleic acid is a nucleic acid
that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and
functioning of all known living organisms.Chemically, DNA is a long
polymer of simple units called nucleotides, with a backbone made of
sugars and phosphate groups joined by ester bonds. Attached to each
sugar is one of four types of molecules called bases. It is the
sequence of these four bases along the backbone that encodes
information.
Properties of DNA
- Dissolves well in water
- Has many melting points which depend on the presence of A-T
base pairs. If a DNA has more A-T base pairs, it has
Melting point less than that of the DNA with less A-T base
pairs.
- DNA back bone can't be melted by providing high temperature.
For this enzymes are required to cut at specific locations.
- When DNA is in solution, it undergoes conformational
fluctuations due to the energy available in the thermal
bath. With the help of optical tweezers at a force of 65 pN it
can be stretched like a rubber band but above this force it
changes its conformation with phosphate in the middle and bases
sprayed outward. This was hypothesized by Linus Pauling.
- Poly dG and poly dC DNA molecules are very helpful in the
transport of electric charge because of the fact that they have
very low ionisation energy. This electrical transport can be
measured by using nano electrodes of carbon nano tubes (CNT)
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