CH1
I. Genes are DNA
II. Chemical Characteristics of DNA
III. DNA Size and Capacity
IV. Basic Genetics Review
1.1 Introduction
The Genome includes all DNA found in a cell and is functionally divided into genes
1.2 Historical Perspective
DNA is the genetic material
genetic properties can be transferred from one bacterial strain to another by extracting DNA from the first strain and adding it to the second strain
Phage infection showed that DNA is the genetic material of viruses
DNA and protein components of bacteriophages can be labeled with different radioactive isotopes
only the DNA is transmitted to the progeny phages produced by infecting bacteria
bacterial transformation was the first thing to support that DNA is genetic material of bacteria
Genes can be made of RNA (Viruses)
Bacteriophage
virus particle by itself
some viruses contain DNA genes, but some viruses have RNA genes, either double- or single-stranded
no metabolic activity of its own
if virus infects a host cell, the cell begins to make viral proteins
viral genes are replicated and newly made genes with viral protein assemble into virus particles
in the laboratory, phage DNA can be used to introduce new genetic traits into animal cells or whole animals
1.3 DNA is Made of Polynucleotide Chains, Nitrogenous Bases and Sugar-Phosphate Backbone
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RNA has uracil instead of thymine
One end of the chain (conventionally written on the left) has a free 5' end and the other end of the chain has a free 3