DNA - student, teacher, and parent learning resource

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Here at Eureka ! Science we know that learning is fun and that science is endlessly fascinating.
Students with homework questions or who are having a bit of trouble figuring out what your science teacher is presenting in biology class ---
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Ask Dr. Pat

Keep a finger on the pulse of science by keeping up with some of the latest science discoveries and inventions. Times they are a changing - and science is the engine of that change.

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EurekaScience.com pages contain a great deal of information about DNA and its role in cell biology for classroom and homeschool teachers, parents, and students of all ages. This page is designed to serve as a hub in all of the information to direct you to your area of specific interest.

webpage: DNA introduction
webpage: DNA introduction for parents & teachers
We have all heard about DNA - but what is it? Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is the molecule responsible for heredity - why children look like parents. DNA is the famous 'double helix' that looks like a spiral staircase in structure. Proteins, called 'histones', attach to the DNA and the combination is referred to as a 'chromosome'. 23 pairs of chromosomes make up the human genome. DNA is awe-inspiring in some ways. If all of the DNA in a human body were stretched end to end, it would reach from the earth to the sun - and back - 30 times !

webpage: DNA structure
webpage: DNA structure for parents & teachers
DNA are long, double-stranded helixes made up of nucleotides. It is synthesized by enzymes called 'DNA polymerases'. Nucleotides are created from phosphate, sugar, and a base. There are 4 bases and thus, 4 nucleotides that can be created. For DNA these are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). The two strands of DNA are held together by non-covalent bonds between A & T and G & C.

webpage: DNA genes
webpage: DNA genes for parents & teachers
Genes are stretches of nucleotides along the length of the DNA. Genes come in different lengths and code for different proteins. There are other stretches of the DNA that do not code for proteins and their exact purpose is unknown. In addition there are stretches of the DNA that enable regulation of the genes.

webpage: DNA replication
webpage: DNA replication for parents & teachers
webpage: DNA replication detail
webpage: DNA replication detail for parents & teachers
The faithful replication of DNA is central to all of biology and it took quite some time to understand how it is accomplished. The two strands are pulled apart, much like a zipper, and a complementary strand is created based upon the pairing of adenine with thymine and cytosine with guanine. Enzymes are responsible for unwinding the DNA strand and for linking the nucleotides into new DNA strands.

webpage: Ask Dr. Pat
webpage: Ask Dr. Pat topics
Check out the questions that students, parents, teachers and life-long learners have sent into Dr. Pat regarding DNA and the answers. You'll find things like: how chromosome pairs are pulled into separate cells during cell division.

webpage: Science in the News
These pages are constantly being updated with the latest breakthroughs and discoveries in biology, medicine, archaeology, astronomy, marine biology or about endangered species or our planet earth. This can be useful information for term papers, lesson plans, or to simply keep up on the fascinating world around us.

learn more ! google:
genes
genome
genetic makeup
one gene one protein
heredity