Deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly abbreviated as DNA, is a significant molecule. It holds all the key information about your genetic makeup.
It was based on the structure of a double helix, a chemical discovered by Friedrich Miescher in 1869.
Its frames are essentially made out of sugar and complemented by phosphate molecules. Meanwhile, its cross pieces are built in adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Your DNA’s chemical composition can generate a particular code.
The code eventually dictates who you are. Now, if your task is to make a DNA molecule model, here are the things that you need to consider:
Collect your materials
Your list should include four pipe cleaners (two white pieces and two colored pieces, all 12-inch long) and 36 colored beads of your choice (12 to represent your adenine; 12, your thymine; 6, your guanine; 6, your cytosine). Don’t forget to ready a ruler and a pair of scissors.
Prepare your pipe cleaners and your colored beads
Start by cutting the white pieces. Make sections that are about 2” each. Then, gather your beads. Continue by threading them right into one of your recently cut while pipe cleaner sections.
Understand that the adenine and the thymine bases should be made in pairs. So, set aside the beads that are supposed to represent them. Each 2” section of the white pipe cleaner should have two beads. Thread six sections for adenine and another six for thymine.
Proceed by threading the six pipe cleaner sections with the colored beads set for your guanine and for your cytosine. Each pipe cleaner section should have one colored bead for your guanine and one colored bead for your cytosine.
Right after you have placed the colored beads to your white pipe cleaner sections, attach them to your colored pipe cleaners.
You can do that by working on the edges of each of your white pipe cleaner sections. Twist them around your colored pipe cleaners.
Then, fashion your colored pipe cleaners in order to simulate the structure of a double helix. However, you should do this carefully. You don’t want to end up twisting your colored pipe cleaners a bit far.
Apply the finishing touches
Don’t hesitate in mixing up or on threading up the colors into your pipe cleaners. That is going to play an important role in customizing your DNA molecule model.
It supports and indicates the various ways a DNA molecule can be made. One DNA molecule model is entirely different and unique compared with another DNA molecule model.
It is important to make your DNA molecule model close to what is real. For one, it allows better and fast learning. So, while working on your DNA molecule model, keep a DNA photo around.
Refer to it as you finish your project. Pay close attention to details as much as you can. By the way, there are a number of Internet sites that sell DNA molecule model kits.
All you have to do is order one and the kit comes handy with construction guidelines. However, you need to choose wisely. Some kits may really require you to do a lot before you put together your DNA molecule model.