DNA and Gene Manipulation

1. Discuss the suitability of DNA as the molecule used to store and transfer genetic information. The acronym DNA (short for Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the chemical and molecule vital for all living things including plants. Found in the nuclei of eukaryotic cells, it is important for transferring information from one individual to the next as it contains the biological instructions that allow each species to be unique. Mitosis is a procedure of cell division in eukaryotes and occurs once the DNA information has been replicated exactly. This makes DNA the best molecule to rely on for storing hereditary information as it is also responsible for encoding genetic instructions, necessary for the functioning and development of all living organisms. DNA is a polymer comprising of monomer units called nucleotides, hence is a polynucleotide. It is made up of two polynucleotide strands, forming a DNA molecule when held together by weak thermodynamic forces. Nucleotides are building blocks, arranged to form genetic codes of the DNA. They consist of three parts: sugar deoxyribose, phosphate and a nitrogenous base with the two strands joining at the latter component. Nitrogenous bases vary from DNA to DNA, but share the same four bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G). The two polynucleotide strands are complementary, forming the rungs of the ladder of DNA when A is attracted to T and likewise, C to G. Mitosis is a process in which eukaryotic cells splits the chromosomes in their cell nuclei into two separate sets, both identical and in their own individual nuclei. This nuclear cell division procedure is generally accompanied by cytokinesis, achieving two completely separate daughter cells as an end result. On the other hand, semi-conservative replication refers to the process by which DNA is duplicated in all known cells. Two copies of the DNA would be produced as a result, both of which contain a new polynucleotide strand and an original strand. This mechanism of replication plays its role as one of the three originally proposed models for DNA replication. DNA polymerase is the enzyme that performs the DNA replication process and requires the attachment of a primer for it to work. In this sense, a primer is a short segment of nucleic acid, complementary to part of the DNA. During the stage of replication, the primers are eventually removed. Living cells translates the genetic material stored in the DNA sequences into proteins. During this process, ribosome from RNA decodes one strand of a DNA molecule and delivers the information that codes for a protein. Amino acids are linked to the ribosome in a specific order indicated by mRNA. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules are used to carry amino acids required to read the mRNA, three nucleotides at a time. The genetic code outlines how codons (nucleotide triplets) identify which amino acid is to be added subsequently during protein synthesis. The codons that code for amino acids are universal; in other words, any particular codons code for the same amino acid in all species of life, bacteria inclusive. DNA is the most suitable molecule to store and transfer genetic information because its phosphate backbone prevents the molecule from breaking apart. Genetic material is stored in the form of sequences of nucleotides so these must be held together inside the DNA if mutations were to be avoided. The phosphate backbone that the DNA contains also helps stabilise the double helix so that the molecule can continue to store and transfer information. DNA is an excellent carrier and storage of genetic material. Not only does it serve as an importance for the transfer of genetic information but it is also the only molecule able to use the

complementary base-pairing rule to replicate itself exactly. The past research studies of DNA have proven that this molecule is the most seemly for the role of storing and transferring information.