DNA

DNA

Affairs before challenging and perhaps impossible resolution, as paternity determination or resolution of crimes, for example, now have a mechanism to fairly easily finalize the questions - the DNA. Currently, the level of knowledge and development of the study of DNA reached a level so high that it is possible to diagnose and determine the possibility of certain diseases, even before the first symptoms.

DNA is the structure that identifies the living and presents characteristics that allows, even in individuals of the same species, differentiate them. Thus, people from the same family, brothers, for example, have physical differences determined by variation of DNA present in each individual.

DNA is the abbreviation abbreviates the term deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA, in Portuguese), which is the largest cellular macromolecule formed from the union of chemical compounds called nucleotides. The nucleotide is composed of three substances:

- Nitrogen Base, which can be adenine, guanine, cytosine or thymine; since such bases are complementary, the DNA having the following ligands: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine.

- A phosphate grouping.

- A glicídio pentose group, in which case the DNA is deoxyribose.


Nucleotides are arranged through connections that allow the formation of two twisted ribbons joined together by hydrogen bonds (hydrogen bonds) between their nitrogenous bases, so it is customary to name the structure of DNA as a double helix. This structural model of DNA was introduced in 1953 by Watson and Crick, and earned them the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1962.

The DNA is the formation of our genes, structures that represent our genetic information, what determines things like the type of hair, height, skin color and eye iris, the rate of growth and so on. We received these genes from our parents and pass while playing for our children through sexual gametes.

The role of DNA during our life, occurs through its expression. Each gene corresponds to a specific region of the DNA molecule by determining, in accordance with the sequences present in this region, production of an RNA that sends the message to the production of a particular protein. Thus, we have the cellular production of substances such as enzymes, antibodies, hormones and many other substances essential for our livelihoods.

Only 3% of the genes are coding, or some expressing RNA leads to the production of proteins, the other 97% non-coding are still unknown and further characterized a new challenge for biotechnology.

Fabricio Alves Ferreira
Graduated in Biology
Team Brazil School

Source: http://www.brasilescola.com/biologia/dna.htm