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What IDs the Shape of DNA?

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the fundamental building block of cells that is consistent throughout the cells of the bodies of humans and animals. The theory of DNA being found throughout the body was theorized in the 1940s, with the shape of DNA put forward in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick, PBS reports.

  1. Discovery

    • The initial research into DNA was completed by Oswald Avery in 1943. who theorized DNA being present in the cells of the body, allowing cells to divide and reproduce exactly with some mutations causing differences. The structure and shape remained unknown until 1952, when Rosalind Franklin used a technique known as x-ray crystallography to produce the first evidence of the shape of DNA. From the x-ray evidence provided by Franklin, Watson and Crick produced the theory that DNA was formed in a helical shape with two strands of nucleic acid, according to PBS.

    Shape

    • The two strands of information that make up the structure of DNA form into a double helix shap, that resembles a spiral staircase. The shape of DNA is restricted by evolution, with around 12 percent of the information within DNA restricted by evolutionary principles, Science Daily reports. The shape, including the bumps, grooves, turns and grooves within the structure of DNA, can be used to determine the species of animal the DNA originated from.

    Identification

    • Three-dimensional models can be used to identify the shape and structure of an individual's DNA. These techniques allow the structure of DNA to be revealed in greater detail than two-dimensional modeling and letter identification techniques. The use of 3-D modeling has allowed researchers to identify proteins that bind themselves to the structure of DNA to determine the shape of an individual's DNA. Proteins form an important ingredient in creating the shape and structure of DNA. Proteins bind themselves to the surface of DNA to create the easiest and most secure fit to the surface of the DNA.

    Linear

    • The structure and individual shape of DNA can also be determined using linear coding techniques. In linear techniques the individual parts of the DNA structure are coded using letters; the human genome is commonly made up of DNA materials coded as A,T,G and C, Science Daily reports. Linear identification techniques identify less areas of the DNA structure than 3-D modeling techniques. DNA is found in every cell of the body, including the muscles, semen, saliva, blood and skin.

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