Cracking the Code

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a very important macromolecule!

Its structure, a double helix, can be uncoiled such that one strand of it can be used as a template to enable the production of more DNA. This ensures that the number of chromosomes per cell is conserved during cell division. This number varies from species to species.

DNA is called the blueprint of life because it can be uncoiled to enable the production of another nucleic acid, ribonucleic acid (RNA) in a process called transcription. Once transcribed, the RNA is ultimately translated into amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of another type of macromolecule, proteins.

Proteins are the building blocks of life, the molecules that make you who you are: how you look, how you act, and your biochemical makeup. Without a special group of proteins most biochemical reactions within your body would not be possible!

Use your knowledge of DNA and Protein Synthesis to try your luck at Cracking the Code!