Nature of science:
Using models as representation of the real world—Crick and Watson used model making to discover the structure of DNA. (1.10)
Understandings:
The nucleic acids DNA and RNA are polymers of nucleotides.
DNA differs from RNA in the number of strands present, the base composition and the type of pentose.
DNA is a double helix made of two antiparallel strands of nucleotides linked by hydrogen bonding between complementary base pairs.
Applications and skills:
Application: Crick and Watson’s elucidation of the structure of DNA using model making.
Skill: Drawing simple diagrams of the structure of single nucleotides of DNA and RNA, using circles, pentagons and rectangles to represent phosphates, pentoses and bases.