News tagged with dna
Inherited DNA change explains overactive leukemia gene
A small inherited change in DNA is largely responsible for overactivating a gene linked to poor treatment response in people with acute leukemia.
Genetics
May 25, 2012 |
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DNA vaccine and duck eggs protect against hantavirus disease
Army scientists and industry collaborators have successfully protected laboratory animals from lethal hantavirus disease using a novel approach that combines DNA vaccines and duck eggs. The work appears in a recent edition ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
May 23, 2012 |
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Array of light for early disease detection?
A special feature in this week's issue of the journal Science highlights protein array technology, touching on research conducted by Joshua LaBaer, director of the Biodesign Institute's Virginia G. Piper ...
Medical research
May 22, 2012 |
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Researchers unravel the relation between DNA methylomes and obesity
In a highlighted paper published online in Nature Communications, researchers from Sichuan Agricultural University and BGI reported the atlas of DNA methylomes in porcine adipose and muscle tissues, providing a valuable epigen ...
Genetics
May 22, 2012 |
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A possible target for broad-range HPV therapeutics emerges
(Medical Xpress) -- Among viruses, human papilloma virus (HPV) stands out: with more than 180 distinct isotypes or variations catalogued to date, it presents an extremely difficult target for broad-range treatments. And while ...
Cancer
May 22, 2012 |
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Abundance of rare DNA changes following population explosion may hold clues to common diseases
One-letter switches in the DNA code occur much more frequently in human genomes than anticipated, but are often only found in one or a few individuals.
Pediatrics
May 17, 2012 |
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Genetic test may spot raised autism risk
(HealthDay) -- Researchers report that a new DNA test may be able to spot an increased risk of autism in children as young as 6 months old.
Pediatrics
May 16, 2012 |
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Landscape of cancer genes and mutational processes in breast cancer
In a study published today in Nature, researchers describe nine new genes that drive the development of breast cancer. This takes the tally of all genes associated with breast cancer development to 40.
Cancer
May 16, 2012 |
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Stabilizing Fanconi anemia with antioxidants
Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disorder which affects one person in 350,000. People affected by this disease have defects in DNA repair, and are hypersensitive to oxidative damage, resulting in bone marrow failure ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
May 15, 2012 |
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New look at prolonged radiation exposure: Study suggests that at low dose-rate, radiation poses little risk to DNA
A new study from MIT scientists suggests that the guidelines governments use to determine when to evacuate people following a nuclear accident may be too conservative.
Health
May 15, 2012 |
3.7 / 5 (9) |
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Researchers find genetic link to PTSD
(Medical Xpress) -- A team of Swiss and German researchers has found that a certain gene allele can be linked to increased emotional memory retention and because of that appears to be a factor in people who suffer from post ...
Genetics
May 15, 2012 |
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Expectant mothers' saliva tells stories of stress
This weekend, many mothers-to-be celebrated Mother's Day, a welcome relief from the inherent stresses of pregnancy.
Pediatrics
May 14, 2012 |
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DNA methylation level is marker of breast cancer risk
(HealthDay) -- Women with high levels of white blood cell (WBC) DNA methylation at the ATM loci have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer, regardless of family history or menopausal status, according ...
Cancer
May 11, 2012 |
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RNA regulator of melanoma could be a new target for cancer therapy
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer, estimated by the National Cancer Institute to afflict more than 70,000 people in the United States annually and the incidence rate continues to rise. In a study published online ...
Cancer
May 10, 2012 |
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Researchers capture major chemotherapeutic target in complex with DNA damage
A new study published in Science May 11 is shedding light on the molecular details of PARP-1, a DNA damage-detecting enzyme that when inhibited has been shown to be effective in fighting cancer and other ...
Medical research
May 10, 2012 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
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DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in regulating the use of this genetic information.
Chemically, DNA consists of two long polymers of simple units called nucleotides, with backbones made of sugars and phosphate groups joined by ester bonds. These two strands run in opposite directions to each other and are therefore anti-parallel. Attached to each sugar is one of four types of molecules called bases. It is the sequence of these four bases along the backbone that encodes information. This information is read using the genetic code, which specifies the sequence of the amino acids within proteins. The code is read by copying stretches of DNA into the related nucleic acid RNA, in a process called transcription.
Within cells, DNA is organized into X-shaped structures called chromosomes. These chromosomes are duplicated before cells divide, in a process called DNA replication. Eukaryotic organisms (animals, plants, fungi, and protists) store most of their DNA inside the cell nucleus and some of their DNA in the mitochondria (animals and plants) and chloroplasts (plants only). Prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) however, store their DNA in the cell's cytoplasm. Within the chromosomes, chromatin proteins such as histones compact and organize DNA. These compact structures guide the interactions between DNA and other proteins, helping control which parts of the DNA are transcribed.
For more information about DNA, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
