Edible DNA
DNA gives cells instructions in the form of “codons,” which is a three-block code. These codes are made from a string of four different letters which have best friends they favor and prefer to hold hands with. A likes T and G likes C and when put together they become instructions for the cells.
You got your DNA from your parents, we call it ‘hereditary material.’ Nobody else in the world will have DNA the same as you, unless you have an identical twin.
Fun Facts About DNA:
- Every human on the planet shares 99.9 percent of the same DNA.
- That 0.1 percent difference is what determines your eye and hair color, how tall you are, your skin color, and perhaps even your natural athletic ability.
- Half of your genes come from your father, half from your mother.
- Humans and slugs share 70 percent of the same DNA!
Materials:
- Tooth picks
- Licorice sticks
- Colored marshmallows (4 different colors)
- (For a healthier option chop up 4 types of fruit, like strawberries, bananas, grapes, and pineapples.)
Edible DNA Directions:
Step one: Make a color key. Each of the color-coded items represents one of the 4 chemicals that make up the DNA code: Guanine, Adenine, Cytosine, and Thymine.
Step two: Start building your bases. Poke the toothpick through 2 marshmallows so that they are firmly stuck together. Remember, that in nature only 2 types of bonds are possible. Guanine must bond with Cytosine and Adenine must bond with Thymine. Consult your color key to verify that you aren’t breaking this pattern. Make six base pairs.
Step three: Connect your bases to the backbone. The backbone is what holds the bases together into a single strand of DNA. Take the toothpicks with the marshmallows bases and poke the end of the toothpicks through a stick of licorice on each end of the base pair.
Step four: Compare DNA
For a more detailed instruction of this workshop visit this site.
For more on DNA:
https://www.brainpop.com/health/geneticsgrowthanddevelopment/dna/
