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DNA,
Chromosomes &
Genes
Learning Objectives
• To understand that cells are the basic
building blocks for all living things
• To be able to relate the structure of DNA
to genes and chromosomes
Like bricks are the basic building blocks for
houses,
cells are the basic building block for us!
Here is an image of cells taken using a light
microscope
Now lets have a look at
another cell taken using a
much stronger
microscope…
This is a cell from the human intestines
Inside our cells is a nucleus
This darker area is the nucleus
Like a recipe that gives the
instructions to make a cake,
the nucleus gives the cell the
instructions to make the things it needs!
It is our DNA stored in the nucleus that
gives these instructions
This is what our DNA looks like
Our DNA is very long
?
So how does it all fit into
the nucleus?
It is stored in
chromosomes
Here is a picture of a pair of pig chromosomes,
we can see them because they have been made
to fluoresce.
Pigsishave
19 chromosome
pairs
total
This
a picture
of a male pig’s
fullinset
of
chromosomes
Here are some human chromosomes inside a
Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in total
cell, which have also been made to fluoresce
Different bits of the
chromosomes do
different things.
]
These different bits are
called genes.
We have 2 copies of every gene,
we get one copy from our dad and the other
from our mum.
Different genes tell us different things,
like what colour hair to have, what colour
eyes to have & whether to be left or right
handed.
Genes are very particular,
like phone
numbers - if you
get a number
wrong they won’t
work!
Fill in the blanks using the words at the bottom:
______ are the basic building blocks for life.
Inside each ______ is one ______ .
Our ______ is stored in the nucleus.
Our DNA is very ______ so it is stored in ______.
Different bits of chromosomes are called
______.
Different genes tell our bodies ______ things .
We have ______ copies of every gene.
______ in our genes cause problems.
different two
errors
DNA
nucleus
cells chromosomes cell
genes
long
Traffic light
• I understand that cells are the
basic building blocks for all
living things
• I can relate DNA to genes
and chromosomes
• Are you red, amber or green?
Slide show produced by Chloe Williams.
Image Credits: Cell and chromosome images kindly provided by Dr. Mar Carmena, Dr. Jim Selfridge and Dr.
Heather McQueen from the University of Edinburgh
Kindly funded by: