Teacher Demo: Marshmallow DNA Model

This demonstration will provide students with a visual representation of the structure of DNA.  Students will learn the different components that make a nucleotide, the correct base-pair connection between nitrogenous bases, and visually see the double helix structure of DNA.

What happens?

In this demonstration, students will visually see what a DNA molecule looks like.  They will be able to determine the different components that makes up a nucleotide (phosphate, deoxyribose sugar, and nitrogenous base), will learn the correct base-pairing of bases in DNA (adenine always bonds with thymine and cytosine always bonds with guanine), will learn how many hydrogen bonds occur between each base pair, and will learn that phosphodiester linkages are formed between phosphate groups and deoxyribose sugars.  Students will also be able to identify the major groove and the minor groove in the double helix once the molecule is twisted.

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