DNA-RNA KIT Guidebook

PROJECT STAFF


Rosanne Hoffmann, Project Leader

Andrew Dakin, Model Maker

Tom Poppe, Tooling Advisor

Andrew Moulton, Technical Assistant

InGrid Design, Graphic Designers


In keeping with our philosophy to provide access to information for people who are blind or visually impaired, the American Printing House for the Blind provides accessible print materials for braille readers. Download html and brf versions of this Guidebook at www.aph.org/manuals/

DNA-RNA Kit

Catalog Number 1-08979-00

Copyright © 2013 by the American Printing House for the Blind. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, unless where noted on specific pages.

For information regarding permission, contact the publisher at the following address:

American Printing House for the Blind

1839 Frankfort Avenue

Louisville, KY 40206

800-223-1839

www.aph.org or info@aph.org



Reference Citation: Hoffmann, R. (2013).

DNA-RNA Kit Guidebook. Louisville, KY:

American Printing House for the Blind.


Acknowledgements

The Project Leader thanks the following field testers and their students for their valuable time and input during the development of the DNA-RNA Kit: Nancy Arnold, Christine Butler, Carlton Cook-Walker, Sandra Craig, Kate Fraser, Becky Heck, Laura Hospitál, Nancy Knight, Karen Koehler, Janice Leslie, Melisa Liao, Alan Roth, and Robin Wolf.

Introduction

The DNA-RNA Kit demonstrates the basic structure and function of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, and the formation of messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA. The kit contains 32 DNA subunits and 32 RNA subunits which represent nucleotides, the building blocks of all nucleic acids. The guidebook explains how to use the model to form single- and double-stranded DNA, and how to demonstrate transcription of a single template strand of DNA to mRNA.

The concepts presented in this guidebook are aligned with the Framework for K-12 Science Education on which the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are based. Applicable Core Ideas from the Framework for K-12 Science Education are presented here.

General Information

The DNA and RNA nucleotide subunits have three areas that represent the components of all nucleotides:

DNA subunits are identifiable in the following ways:

RNA subunits are identifiable in the following ways:

Key to DNA Nucleotide Subunit Structures

The visual DNA nucleotide indicator is the black foam backing. The tactile DNA nucleotide indicator is the smooth, diamond-shaped area (deoxyribose).

White DNA Nucleotides - Adenosine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Deoxyribose
    Smooth diamond area with small round tab
  • Adenine (purine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with large round blank
  • Print letter "A" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "a" in two orientations

Blue DNA Nucleotides - Guanosine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Deoxyribose
    Smooth diamond area with small round tab
  • Guanine (purine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with trapezoid tab
  • Print letter "G" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "g" in two orientations

Yellow DNA Nucleotides - Cytidine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Deoxyribose
    Smooth diamond area with small round tab
  • Cytosine (pyrimidine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with trapezoid blank
  • Print letter "C" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "c" in two orientations

Brown DNA Nucleotides - Thymidine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Deoxyribose
    Smooth diamond area with small round tab
  • Thymine (pyrimidine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with large round tab
  • Print letter "T" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "t" in two orientations

Key to RNA Nucleotide Subunit Structures

The visual RNA nucleotide indicator is the white foam backing. The tactile RNA nucleotide indicator is the raised circle in the diamond area (ribose).

White RNA Nucleotides - Adenosine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Ribose
    Diamond area with raised circle and small round tab
  • Adenine (purine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with large round blank
  • Print letter "A" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "a" in two orientations

Blue RNA Nucleotides - Guanosine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Ribose
    Diamond area with raised circle and small round tab
  • Guanine (purine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with trapezoid tab
  • Print letter "G" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "g" in two orientations

Yellow RNA Nucleotides - Cytidine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Ribose
    Diamond area with raised circle and small round tab
  • Cytosine (pyrimidine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with trapezoid blank
  • Print letter "C" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "c" in two orientations

Orange RNA Nucleotides - Uridine monophosphate

  • Phosphate
    Circle area with raised arc, tactile diagonal lines, and small round blank
  • Ribose
    Diamond area with raised circle and small round tab
  • Uracil (pyrimidine nitrogenous base)
    Bumpy area with large round tab
  • Print letter "U" in two orientations
  • Braille letter "u" in two orientations

Instructions

To link subunits together, press the tab or blank of one nucleotide down into the appropriate tab or blank of another nucleotide (see Figures 1 & 2).

Photo: The small round tab of a white (A) DNA nucleotide is being pressed down into the small round blank of a blue (G) DNA nucleotide.

Figure 1. Phosphate to sugar


Photo: A white (A) and a blue (G) DNA nucleotide are linked together by their small round tab and blank. The trapezoid blank of a yellow (C) DNA nucleotide is being pressed down into the trapezoid tab of the blue (G) DNA nucleotide.

Figure 2. Base to base


To separate attached subunits, pull them apart horizontally in the plane of their attachment (see Figures 3-5 and 6-8).

Photo: The link between the trapezoid blank and trapezoid tab of a yellow (C) and a blue (G) DNA nucleotide is shown being twisted apart.

Figure 9. Do not twist the nucleotide subunits apart!

Photo: A break in the link between the trapezoid blank and trapezoid tab of a yellow (C) and a blue (G) DNA nucleotide is shown by sliding the two nucleotides vertically against each other.

Figure 10. Do not separate the nucleotide subunits vertically!


These actions will cause the laminate to separate from the foam.

How to Form a Single Strand of DNA

Note: For demonstration purposes, the sequence of nucleotides in a single strand does not have to follow a particular order.

Base-pairing Rules for Double-stranded DNA

The design of the nucleotides facilitates correct pairing of nitrogenous bases. Pairing of nitrogenous bases is horizontal and results in the formation of two attached strands of DNA that are complementary to each other.

Cytosine (C) always pairs with Guanine (G), and Guanine (G) always pairs with Cytosine (C).

Three hydrogen bonds stabilize the bonding between these two nucleotides. This is demonstrated in the model by the trapezoid-shaped tab of the Guanine (G) nucleotide that fits into the trapezoid-shaped blank of the Cytosine (C) nucleotide (see Figure 14).


Adenine (A) always pairs with Thymine (T), and Thymine (T) always pairs with Adenine (A).

Two hydrogen bonds stabilize the bonding between these two nucleotides. This is demonstrated in the model by the large, round tab of the Thymine (T) nucleotide that fits into the large, round blank of the Adenine (A) nucleotide (see Figure 15).

How to Form a Double Strand of DNA

Note: After the first complementary base is attached, subsequent nucleotides need to be linked between the nitrogenous bases and between the phosphate blank and the sugar tab (see Figures 18 and 19).

How to Demonstrate Semiconservative DNA Replication

Base-pairing Rules for Transcribing DNA to RNA

Cytosine (C) always pairs with Guanine (G), and Guanine (G) always pairs with Cytosine (C).

Three hydrogen bonds stabilize the bonding between these two nucleotides. This is demonstrated in the model by the trapezoid-shaped tab of the Guanine (G) nucleotide that fits into the trapezoid-shaped blank of the Cytosine (C) nucleotide (see Figure 26).

Thymine (T) always pairs with Adenine (A) and Adenine (A) always pairs with Uracil (U).

Two hydrogen bonds stabilize the bonding between these nucleotides. This is demonstrated in the model by the large, round tab of the Uracil (U) and Thymine (T) nucleotides that fit into the large, round blank of the Adenine (A) nucleotide (see Figure 27).

How to Demonstrate Transcription

Transcription is the formation of a single strand of messenger RNA (mRNA) from a (single) template strand of DNA.

Note: The figures here demonstrate the start codon of mRNA (AUG) and the codon for proline (CCC). The DNA template strand reads TACGGG, which is transcribed to AUGCCC. This mRNA sequence codes for the amino acid methionine first and then proline in the transcribed mRNA. Translation typically begins with the amino acid methionine. All 64 combinations of nucleotide triplets code for either start (AUG), stop (UAA, UAG, UGA), or one of the remaining 19 different amino acids (see Universal Genetic Code here).

Universal Genetic Code

Messenger RNA (mRNA) Codons and Amino Acids

Amino Acid

Codons

Alanine

GCU

GCC

GCA

GCG

Arginine

AGA

AGG

CGU

CGC

CGA

CGG

Asparagine

AAU

AAC

Aspartic acid

GAU

GAC

Cysteine

UGU

UGC

Glutamic acid

GAA

GAG

Glutamine

CAA

CAG

Glycine

GGU

GGC

GGA

GGG

Histidine

CAU

CAC

Isoleucine

AUU

AUC

AUA

Leucine

UUA

UUG

CUU

CUC

CUA

CUG

Lysine

AAA

AAG

Methionine (START)

AUG

Phenylalanine

UUU

UUC

Proline

CCU

CCC

CCA

CCG

Serine

AGU

AGC

UCU

UCC

UCA

UCG

Threonine

ACU

ACC

ACA

ACG

Tryptophan

UGG

Tyrosine

UAU

UAC

Valine

GUU

GUC

GUA

GUG

STOP

UGA

UAA

UAG


Alignment With Disciplinary Core Ideas—Life Sciences
A Framework for K-12 Science Education Standards1

Life Science 1.A: Structure and function
How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?

All cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA. Genes are specific regions within the extremely large DNA molecules that form the chromosomes. Genes contain the instructions that code for the formation of molecules called proteins, which carry out most of the work of cells to perform the essential functions of life.

Life Science 3.A: Inheritance of traits
How are the characteristics of one generation related to the previous generation?

DNA molecules contain four different kinds of building blocks, called nucleotides, linked together in a sequential chain. The sequence of nucleotides spells out the information in a gene. Before a cell divides, the DNA sequence of its chromosomes is replicated and each daughter cell receives a copy. DNA controls the expression of proteins by being transcribed into a "messenger" RNA, which is translated in turn by the cellular machinery into a protein.

1 National Research Council. (2012). A Framework for K-12 Science
 Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Committee
 on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education
 Standards. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral
 and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National
 Academies Press. www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165

Back to Introduction

Suggested Websites

Howard Hughes Medical Institute: BioInteractive DNA: Animations
www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/dna/animations.html

National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: Genetics Home Reference Handbook: Cells and DNA - What is DNA?
ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna

DNA from the Beginning
www.dnaftb.org/

Understanding Evolution: DNA, the Language of Evolution: Francis Crick & James Watson
evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/history_22

DNA-RNA Kit

Catalog Number 1-08979-00

Copyright © 2013

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.

1839 Frankfort Avenue · P.O. Box 6085

Louisville, KY 40206-0085 · Phone: 502-895-2405

Toll Free: 800-223-1839 · Fax: 502-899-2284

Web site: www.aph.org