Molecules for Life: What are Directions Made of? - nucleic acid, DNA, genes, proteins
Molecules for Life: What are Directions Made of?
nucleic acid, DNA, genes, proteins
Chemistry of Living Systems Unit
Can you help me read these directions? Most of the time, they are the instructions for how to build
something like a house or a car. These look different though. They are not asking for wood or metal or
glass. Instead, it's asking for things like . . . nucleic acid? Do you know what that is? Here, unfold that
part, and that, and that. Let's spread it out across the floor to see what we are building. Oh . . . we are
building a human.
Just as these directions laid out before us are made of paper, the directions that build a person are also
made of something. Nucleic acids are the tiny building blocks that make up the directions for all living
things. These building blocks come together to make long strings, which stack on top of each other to
make directions that kind of look like a twisting ladder. They are a lot harder to read than a piece of paper.
Lucky for us, you do not have to follow these directions. Your cells do it for you. Every building site has a
boss to tell people where to go. Without him or her, people might throw the wood in the garbage, build a
ceiling sideways, or pour cement over the windows. You did not think your cells just flew around your
body doing what they wanted, did you? DNA are the directions a living thing's cells follow that tell it how
to grow and what it will do. They are the directions for how to build you! You can thank these
directions for not making toes grow out of your ears. Or be mad at them, if you think ear toes would be
cool.
Of course every set of directions are different. If they were not, all of the buildings in the city would look
the same and when it came to DNA, you would not be able to tell if the person standing in front of you was
your teacher or your little sister. (Of course, you would be just as nice to your little sister as you are to
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Molecules for Life: What are Directions Made of? - nucleic acid, DNA, genes, proteins
your teacher, right?) One part of these directions will show how to make your eyes and another will show
what color your hair will be. A gene has the directions for one trait of a living thing. You have thousands
of genes and they are all found in your DNA. Every living thing gets these from their parent or parents.
Each different part of you is made with one or more of these and all of them together make you the way
you are.
If we look up close at the rungs of the direction ladder, you will see that the boss telling the cells how to
work. Each of these workers is making the stuff they need to build a life. Your directions make you the
way you are by making parts that can get things done. A protein is what DNA makes to send
out messages and to do all the things the cell needs to do. If cells are the workers that follow the
directions, proteins are the tools they build with. They take care of all the little details to make sure you
turn out just right. Some days you may be sad that you do not get to choose what you look like. Would
you rather that, or that everyone looks the same?
I give up! It's not easy to build a person! Good thing we do not need to. The directions, your DNA, tell
your cells what to make. Your genes have directions for each part of you and all of these directions work
to build proteins. Proteins are like the glass, metal, and wood and glue of your body that make you look
and act the way you do. Did you understand all of that? If you did, you can thank your genes! If you did
not, well, you can thank your genes.
References:
"Biology for Kids: DNA and Genes." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), 2014.
<http://www.ducksters.com/science/biology/dna.php>
Science Kids at Home. "Genetics – What are Genes?" Science Kids at Home, 2011.
<http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/genetics-a.html>
Chem 4 Kids. "DNA Details" Chem 4 Kids, 2010. <http://www.chem4kids.com/files/bio_dna.html>
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