DNA from the Beginning logo
An animated primer on the basics of DNA, genes, and heredity.
Funded by The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation

DNA from the Beginning

Table of Contents; People Index; Keyword Index


Table of Contents

Concepts: 1 - 14, 15 - 28, 29 - 41

Classical Genetics

Concept 1 — Children resemble their parents.
(Gregor Mendel: introduction)

Concept 2 — Genes come in pairs.
(Gregor Mendel: genetic alleles)

Concept 3 — Genes don’t blend.
(Gregor Mendel: inheritance)

Concept 4 — Some genes are dominant.
(Gregor Mendel: dominance)

Concept 5 — Genetic inheritance follows rules.
(Punnett squares)

Concept 6 — Genes are real things.
(rediscovery of Mendel’s laws)

Concept 7 — All cells arise from pre-existing cells.
(mitosis)

Concept 8 — Sex cells have one set of chromosomes; body cells have two.
(meiosis)

Concept 9 — Specialized chromosomes determine gender.
(sex chromosomes)

Concept 10 — Chromosomes carry genes.
(fruit fly genetics)

Concept 11 — Genes get shuffled when chromosomes exchange pieces.
(genetic recombination)

Concept 12 — Evolution begins with the inheritance of gene variations.
(early plant genetics, evolution)

Concept 13 — Mendelian laws apply to human beings.
(sex-linked genes, early human genetics)

Concept 14 — Mendelian genetics cannot fully explain human health and behavior.
(eugenics)


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Molecules of Genetics


Concept 15 — DNA and proteins are key molecules of the cell nucleus.
(DNA and amino acid discovery and structure)

Concept 16 — One gene makes one protein.
(relating genes and protein function)

Concept 17 — A gene is made of DNA.
(Oswald Avery: DNA as the transforming principle)

Concept 18 — Bacteria and viruses have DNA too.
(conjugation, Hershey and Chase experiment)

Concept 19 — The DNA molecule is shaped like a twisted ladder.
(Watson and Crick: 3-D structure of DNA)

Concept 20 — A half DNA ladder is a template for copying the whole.
(DNA replication)

Concept 21 — RNA is an intermediary between DNA and proteins.
(RNA transcription, translation)

Concept 22 — DNA words are three letters long.
(genetic code, translation)

Concept 23 — A gene is a discrete sequence of DNA nucleotides.
(DNA sequencing)

Concept 24 — The RNA message is sometimes edited.
(RNA splicing, exons, introns)

Concept 25 — Some viruses store genetic information in RNA.
(retroviruses, reverse transcriptase)

Concept 26 — RNA was the first genetic molecule.
(RNA/DNA evolution)

Concept 27 — Mutations are changes in genetic information.
(DNA mutations)

Concept 28 — Some types of mutations are automatically repaired.
(DNA repair)


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Genetic Organization and Control

Concept 29 — DNA is packaged in a chromosome.
(DNA packaging, chromatin)

Concept 30 — Higher cells incorporate an ancient chromosome.
(mitochondrial DNA)

Concept 31 — Some DNA does not encode protein.
(non-coding, "junk" DNA)

Concept 32 — Some DNA can jump.
(McClintock: "jumping" genes, transposons)

Concept 33 — Genes can be turned on and off.
(lac operon, control of gene expression)

Concept 34 — Genes can be moved between species.
(DNA transformation, insulin production in bacteria)

Concept 35 — DNA responds to signals from outside the cell.
(cell signaling, interferon pathway)

Concept 36 — Different genes are active in different kinds of cells.
(gene expression, gene chip and DNA array technology)

Concept 37 — Master genes control basic body plans.
(fruit fly gene expression, development)

Concept 38 — Development balances cell growth and death.
(cell cycle, cell death)

Concept 39 — A genome is an entire set of genes.
(Human Genome Project)

Concept 40 — Living things share common genes.
(DNA homology between species)

Concept 41 — DNA is only the beginning for understanding the human genome.
(gene targeting, proteomics)


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People Index

(other indexes)

Key

A = Animation
G = Gallery
V = Video
B = Biography
P = Problem
* = Nobel Laureate


A B C D F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Z

A

Allen, Garland
concepts 7 V; 9 V; 10 V; 11 V; 12 V; 13 V; 14 V

Avery, Oswald
concept 17 A, G, B

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B

*Baltimore, David
concept 25 A, G, V, B

*Beadle, George
concept 16 A, G, B

Benzer, Seymour
concept 27 A, G, B

*Bishop, Michael
concept 40 A, G, B

Boveri, Theodor
concept 8 A, G, B

Boyer, Herbert
concept 34 A, G, B

*Brenner, Sydney
concept 21 A, G, B

Britten, Roy
concept 31 A, G, V, B

Brown, Pat
concept 36 A, G, B

Burgoyne, Leigh
concept 29 A

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C

*Capecchi, Mario
concept 41 A, G, B

Carlson, Elof
concept 27 V

*Cech, Thomas
concept 26 A, G, B

Chargaff, Erwin
concept 19 A

Cohen, Stanley
concept 34 A, G, B

Collins, Francis
concept 39 A, G, V, B

Correns, Carl
concept 6 A, G, B

*Crick, Francis
concepts 19 A, G, B; 21 A

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D

Darnell, James
concept 35 A, G, V, B

Davenport, Charles
concepts 13 A; 14 A, G, B

Dawid, Igor
concept 36 A, G, B

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F

Flemming, Walther
concept 7 A, B

Fodor, Stephen
concept 36 A, G, B

Franklin, Rosalind
concept 19 A, G, B

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G

Gesteland, Raymond
concept 26 V

*Gilbert, Walter
concept 33 V

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H

Hanahan, Doug
concept 34 A, G, V, B

*Hartwell, Leland
concept 38 A, G, B

Hengartner, Michael
concept 38 A, G, V, B

*Hershey, Alfred
concept 18 A, G, V, B

Hewish, Dean
concept 29 A

Hoagland, Mahlon
concept 21 A, G, B

*Horvitz, Robert H.
concept 38 A, G, B

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J

*Jacob, Francois
concept 33 A, G, B

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K

*Kornberg, Arthur
concepts 20 A, G, V, B; 29 G

*Kornberg, Roger
concept 29 A, G, V

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L

Leder, Phil
concept 22 A

*Lederberg, Joshua
concept 16 V; 18 A, G, V, B

Levene, Phoebus
concept 15 A, G, B

*Lewis, Edward
concept 37 A, G, B

Lowe, Scott
concept 38 A, G, V, B

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M

McCarty, Maclyn
concept 17 V, B

*McClintock, Barbara
concept 32 A, G, B

McCombie, Richard
concept 23 V

Mendel, Gregor
concepts 1 A, B; 2 A, G; 2 A; 4 A, G

Meselson, Matthew
concept 20 A, G, V, B

Miescher, Freidrich
concept 15 A, G, B

Miller, Stanley
concept 26 A, G, B

*Monod, Jacques
concept 33 A, G, B

*Morgan, Thomas Hunt
concept 10 A, G, B

*Muller, Hermann
concept 27 A, G, B

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N

*Nirenberg, Marshall
concept 22 A, G, V, B

*Nusslein-Volhard, Christiane
concept 37 A, G

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O

Olby, Robert
concepts 1 V; 2 V; 3 V; 4 V; 5 V; 6 V

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P

Paabo, Svante
concept 27 V

Punnett, Reginald
concept 5 A, G, B

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Q

Queen Victoria
concept 13 A

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R

*Roberts, Richard
concept 24 A, G, V, B

Rupert, Claud (Stanley)
concept 28 A, G, B

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S

Sakmar, Thomas
concept 15 V

*Sanger, Frederick
concept 23 A, G, B

Sargent, Thomas
concept 36 A, G, V, B

Sauer, Brian
concept 41 A, G, B

Schwann, Theodor
concept 6 A, B

Setlow, Jane
concept 28 V

Setlow, Richard
concept 28 G, V, B

*Sharp, Phil
concept 24 A, G, V, B

Shull, George
concept 12 A, G

Stahl, Frank
concept 20 A, G, V, B

Stevens, Nettie
concept 9 A, G, B

Sturtevant, Alfred
concept 11 A, G, B

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T

*Temin, Howard
concept 25 A, G, B

Tschermak-Seysenegg von, Erich
concept 6 A, G, B

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V

*Varmus, Harold
concept 40 A, G, B

Venter, J. Craig
concept 39 A, G, V, B

Vries de, Hugo
concept 6 A, G, B

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W

Wallin, Ivan
concept 30 A, B

*Watson, James
concepts 19 A, G, V, B; 39 A

*Wieschaus, Eric
concept 37 A, G, V, B

Wigler, Michael
concept 40 A, G, V, B

*Wilkins, Maurice
concepts 19 A, B; 29 A

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Z

Zamecnik, Paul
concept 21 A, G, V, B

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Keyword Index

(other indexes)

Key

A = Animation
G = Gallery
V = Video
B = Biography
P = Problem


A B C D E G H I L M N O P R S T U V X Y

3' or 5'
concepts 15 A; 19 V

A

Activator (Ac)
concept 32 A, V

adenine
concepts 15 A; 19 A; 20 A; 21 A; 22 A; 23 A, P; 26 A; 28 A

agarose gel electophoresis
concepts 23 A; 24 A, V, B; 29 A

alkaptonuria
concepts 13 B, P; 16 A

allele
concepts 2 A; 4 A, P; 5 A, P; 11 A; 16 A

amino acid
concepts 15 A, V, B; 16 A

apoptosis (cell death)
concept 38 A, P

Antennapedia
concept 37 A, G

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B

bacterium/bacteria (see Escherichia coli)

bacteriophage
concepts 18 A; 27 A; 39 A

base pair
concept 19 A

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C

cell cycle
concept 38 A

Central Dogma
concepts 21 A, B; 25 A, B

centromere
concepts 7 A; 8 A; 39 A

chromatid
concepts 7 A; 8 A; 31 A

chromatin
concept 29 A

chromosome
concepts 8 A, B; 9 A, V, B; 10 A, V, B; 11 A, V, G, B; 29 A, V, P

cloning
concepts 34 A, V; 39 A

codon
concepts 22 A, V, B; 23 A

complementary DNA (cDNA)
concepts 19 A; 20 A; 22 A; 36 A; 39 A

conjugation
concept 18 A

crossing-over
concepts 11A, V; 27 A

cytosine
concepts 15 A; 19 A; 20 A; 21 A; 22 A; 23 A, P; 26 A; 28 A

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D

DNA
concepts 17 A; 19 A; 20 A

DNA array
concept 36 A, V, B, P

density gradient centrifugation
concepts 20 A, V, B, P; 21 A

dideoxynucleotide
concept 23 A

diploid
concept 8 A

Dissociator (Ds)
concept 32 A, V

dominant
concepts 4 A, P; 5 A, P; 13 A, P

Drosophilia melanogaster (fruit fly)
concepts 10 A, V, P; 11 A, V, P; 27 A; 37 A, G, V, P; 39 A

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E

Escherichia coli (bacteria)
concepts 18 A, P; 34 A, V, P

eugenics
concept 14 A, G, P

evolution
concept 12 A, G, V, B

exon
concepts 24 A, P; 26 A; 34 A

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G

gene
concepts 6 A; 10 A; 11 A, 12 A, 16 A

gene chip
concept 36 A, V, B

genome
concepts 30 A; 39 A, V

guanine
concepts 15 A; 19 A; 20 A; 21 A; 22 A; 23 A, P; 26 A; 28 A

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H

haploid
concept 8 A, P

histone
concept 29 A, G, P

homeotic gene
concept 37 A, V, P

homolog
concepts 11 A, 40 A

Human Genome Project
concepts 39 A, V, G, B; 41 A

hybrid
concepts 5 A, B; 12 A, P

hybridization
concept 31 A, B

hydrogen bond
concept 19 A

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I

insulin
concept 23 A, B

interferon
concept 35 A

intron
concepts 24 A, P; 26 A

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L

lac operon
concept 33 A, V, B, P

linkage
concept 11 A, B

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M

mapping (see restriction mapping)

meiosis
concepts 8 A, G, B; 11 A

messenger RNA (mRNA)
concepts 21 A, G, B; 22 A, P; 24 A, G, V, B; 31 A; 39 A

mitosis
concepts 7 A, B, P; 8 A

mitochondrial DNA
concept 30 A, V, P

mutation
concepts 27 A, G, V, B; 28 A; 32 A

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N

Neandertal
concept 30 V, P

Neurospora crassa (bread mold)
Concept 16 A, G

nitrocellulose
concept 36 A

nitrogenous bases
concepts 15 A, P; 19 A

nuclease
concepts 17 A, P; 25 A, P

nuclein
concept 15 A

nucleotide
concepts 15 A; P; 23 A, P

nucleus
concepts 7 A, P; 8 A, P; 30 A

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O

oncogene
concept 40 A

operator
concept 33 A, P

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P

PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
concept 39 A

pedigree
concepts 13 A, P; 14 A, P

phage (see bacteriophage)

phenotype
concepts 2 A; 4 A; 5 A, P; 10 A, P; 11 A, P

plasmid
concepts 33 A; 34 A; 39 A

polylinker
concept 34 P

polymerase
DNA: concept 20 A, V
RNA: concepts 21 A; 33 A

polynucleotide
concept 15 A, P

polypeptide
concept 15 A

proinsulin
concept 34 A

prokaryote
concept 18 A

promoter
concepts 33 A; 37 A

protease
concepts 17 A, P; 25 A, P

protein
concept 15 A

phosphate
concepts 15 A; 23 A

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R

RNA
concepts 21 A, P; 26 A, V, P; 24 A, G, V, P; 25 A, V, P

radioactive probe/tag
concepts 18 A; 20 A; 21 A; 23 A; 25 A, P

reading frame
concepts 22 A, P; 27 A

receptor
concepts 33 A; 35 A, P

recessive
concepts 4 A, P; 5 A, P; 13 A, P

recognition sequence
concepts 24 A, P; 34 A, P

recombination
concepts 11 A, V, P; 27 A; 32 A

repressor
concept 33 A, V, P

restriction enzyme
concepts 24 A, V, P; 34 A, P; 39 A

restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)
concept 39 A

restriction mapping
concepts 24 A, P; 39 A

retrovirus
concept 25 A, G, V

reverse transcriptase
concepts 25 A, V, P; 36 A; 39 A

ribosome
concepts 21 A; 22 A

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S

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
concepts 38 A; 40 A

selectable marker
concepts 18 A, P; 27 A; 34 A, P

semi-conservative replication
concept 20 A, V, P

signal transduction
concept 35 A, P

splicing
concept 24 A, P

stem cells
concept 41 A

sticky ends
concept 34 A, P

stop codon
concepts 22 A, P; 27 A

subtractive hybridization
concept 36 A, V

supercoiling
concept 29 A, G, V, P

supernatant
concepts 17 A; 20 A; 21 A; 25 A, P, 35 A

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T

template
concepts 20 A; 21 A; 22 A; 23 A; 24; 25 A, B; 26 A; 31 A

termination codon (see stop codon)

thymine
concepts 15 A; 19 A; 20 A; 21 A; 22 A; 23 A, P; 26 A; 28 A

trait (see phenotype)

transcription
concept 21 A

transfer RNA (tRNA)
concept 21 A, V

transformation
concept 34 A, V

transforming principle
concept 17 A

transgenic
concept 41 A

translation
concepts 21 A; 22 A, V, P

translocation (see recombination)

transposon
concept 32 A, V, B, P

trypsin
concept 25 A, P

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U

Ultrabithorax
concept 37 A

uracil
concepts 21 A, P; 22 A, P; 26 A

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V

vector
concept 41 A, P

virus (see also retrovirus)
concepts 18 A; 25 A, G, B; 27 A; 24 B

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X

X-ray crystallography
concepts 19 A, B; 20 B

X-ray diffraction
concepts 19 A; 29 A

X-linked mutation
concepts 10 A; 14 A; 27 A, V

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Y

yeast (see Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

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Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dolan DNA Learning Center