DNA full form in biology:
- In biology, DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
- DNA carriers the genetic instructions needed for the development, functioning and growth of all living organisms and many viruses.
| Point | Description |
| Full form | · Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) |
| Discoverer | · James Watson and Francis Crick (1953) |
| Significance of Discovery | · Fundamental to genetics and molecular biology |
| Function | · Carries genetic information |
| Structure | · Double-stranded helical structure |
| Base Pairs | · Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T) · Cytosine (C) pairs with Guanine (G) |
| Location | · Found in the cell nucleus (nuclear DNA) · Also present in mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA) |
| DNA Replication | · Ensures genetic information is passed on during cell division |
| DNA Transcription | · Process of producing messenger RNA (mRNA) from DNA |
| DNA Translation | · Process of protein synthesis from mRNA |
| Mutations | · Changes in DNA sequence, can occur naturally or be induced |
| DNA Fingerprinting | · Technique used for the identification based on unique DNA patterns |
| Human Genome Project | · International effort to sequence the entire human genome |
| DNA Technology | · PCR · CRISPR-Cas9 |
| Role in Inheritance | · DNA determines inheritance of traits and characteristics |
| Epigenetic Modifications | · Changes in gene expression without altering DNA sequence |
| Evolutionary Relationships | · DNA analysis reveals evolutionary connections between species |
| Potential Research Impact | · Holds promise for numerous scientific breakthroughs |
Some interesting facts about DNA:
- If the DNA of a single human cell is stretched out, it would be about 2 meters long in length.
- The total DNA in our body if stretched, it will be equal to the distance from the Earth to the Sun and back over 600 times.
- Saliva is a useful source for non-invasive genetic testing and analysis as DNA can be extracted from it.
- Approximately 20,000 to 25,000 protein coding genes are present in humans.
- Mitochondria have their own DNA that it inherits entirely from the mother. Thus mitochondrial DNA is useful for tracing maternal ancestry purposes.
- Numerous factors such as UV Radiation, Ionizing Radiation and Viral Infections can cause DNA damage, which our cells are constantly repairing. Every day, our bodies go through between 10,000 and 1,000,000 events of DNA damage per cell.
- Process of DNA replication occurs at a high speed, adding about 50 base pairs per second during cell division.
- We share about 40-50% of identical DNA with cabbage
- About 9% of our DNA is the same as other human beings.
- DNA tests can help us to understand the risk for genetic diseases.
- There are around 3 million DNA bases in our genome.
- Chimpanzees and human beings share almost 98% of the same DNA. They are therefore our closest living relatives.
- Paternity DNA tests compare DNA between a father and child
- Only about 1-2 percent of our DNA encodes genes in our body.
- Throughout the period of evolution, humans have lost over 500 DNA codes.
- The non-coding DNA which was once considered as junk DNA has been found to play essential roles in gene regulation and other cellular processes.
- DNA analysis has pin point the influence of genes and environment on the human traits and diseases.
- The oldest known DNA samples come from ancient permafrost regions which dates back about tens thousands of years.