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Class12th Notes

DNA is a double helix composed of nucleotides, which include a phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar, and nitrogenous bases (A, T, C, G) that follow specific base pairing rules. Watson and Crick proposed the double helix structure, highlighting the anti-parallel nature of the two polynucleotide chains and the need for efficient DNA packaging in eukaryotes, where DNA wraps around histone proteins to form nucleosomes. Chromatin exists in two forms: euchromatin, which is loosely packed and transcriptionally active, and heterochromatin, which is tightly packed and transcriptionally inactive.

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20 views2 pages

Class12th Notes

DNA is a double helix composed of nucleotides, which include a phosphate group, deoxyribose sugar, and nitrogenous bases (A, T, C, G) that follow specific base pairing rules. Watson and Crick proposed the double helix structure, highlighting the anti-parallel nature of the two polynucleotide chains and the need for efficient DNA packaging in eukaryotes, where DNA wraps around histone proteins to form nucleosomes. Chromatin exists in two forms: euchromatin, which is loosely packed and transcriptionally active, and heterochromatin, which is tightly packed and transcriptionally inactive.

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Puspita Roy
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Molecular basis of inheritance

Basic Structure of DNA

DNA is a double helix, which looks like a twisted ladder.

Components of DNA

Nucleotides – The basic building blocks of DNA. Each nucleotide has three parts:

o Phosphate group

o Deoxyribose sugar (a 5-carbon sugar)

o Nitrogenous base

Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G)

Base Pairing Rule (Complementary Base Pairing)

 A = T → 2 hydrogen bonds

 G ≡ C → 3 hydrogen bonds

Watson & Crick were the first to propose the Double helix structure of DNA, based on X-ray
diffraction image captured by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.

DNA Double-helix model

 DNA is composed of two polynucleotide chains

 Sugar-phosphate forms the backbone

 Nitrogenous bases form the interior, paired through H- bonds

 The two polynucleotide chains have anti-parallel polarity

 Two chains are coiled in a right-handed fashion forming a right-handed helix

 Uniform distance is maintained between the two strands of helix

DNA Packaging Overview:

 Total number of base pairs in a typical mammalian cell= 6.6 x 109 bp (base pair)

 Distance between two base pairs= 0.34nm

Therefore, Length of DNA= 0.34 x 109 x 6.6 x 109 = 2.2m far exceeds the size of the nucleus
(~10⁻⁶ m), hence requiring efficient packaging.

 In eukaryotes: DNA wraps around positively charged histone proteins to form nucleosomes
(each with 200 base pairs), appearing as "beads-on-a-string" under an electron microscope.

Chromatin Types:

1. Euchromatin:

o Loosely packed, lightly stained


o Less DNA, transcriptionally active

o Found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes

2. Heterochromatin:

o Tightly packed, darkly stained

o More DNA, transcriptionally inactive

o Found only in eukaryotes

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