Module 6: DNA, RNA, and Molecular Genetics

The field of genetics has grown dramatically since Gregor Mendel first experimented with garden peas. It is now understood that DNA is the molecule responsible for transferring the genetic code from parent to offspring. Many scientists from different parts of the world worked to discover the structure of DNA. These discoveries led to an increased knowledge of how DNA is copied before cells divide, and how the molecule is able to direct the activities of protein synthesis. An increased understanding of DNA has led scientists to develop techniques in order to manipulate DNA. Scientists are now able to correct mistakes made when the DNA is copied, improving the qualities and traits of an organism. In this module, you will investigate the discovery of DNA, the structure, function, and associated processes of DNA and RNA, genetic diversity and mutations, and current DNA technologies.

Getting Started

Did you know that scientists have developed a bacterial strain that can be used as a topical treatment to fight tooth decay? Dentists can apply a one-time topical treatment of the bacteria to teeth that will prevent tooth decay for a lifetime.

Did you know that scientists have produced contact lenses that monitor the pressure building behind the eye in patients that are at-risk for developing glaucoma? The contact lenses transmit information through a device to a computer, and doctors use the data to understand how the disease develops. In the future, doctors hope that improvement to the lenses will allow for medicine to be automatically dispensed in response to changes in pressure.

Did you know high-tech shoe insoles have been developed that monitor a person’s balance patterns? Digital sensors in the insoles transmit data to a computer about the wearer’s walking and balance stability. These insoles were designed to prevent falls that are often catastrophic in elderly people.

These and many more products are the result of the growing field of biotechnology. These three examples of technology grew from the knowledge gained from research on the molecules involved in heredity and genetics.

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

adenine	frameshift mutation	purine
anticodon	genetic engineering	pyrimidine
biotechnology	genetics	RNA
cloning	genome	rRNA
codon	guanine	RNA polymerase
cytosine	heredity	recombinant DNA
DNA	inversion	restriction enzyme
DNA fingerprinting	mRNA	tRNA
DNA helicase	mutagen	thymine
DNA ligase	mutation	transcription
DNA polymerase	nucleotide	transgenic
DNA replication	plasmid	translation
deletion	point mutation	translocation
double helix	polymerase chain reaction	uracil
duplication	protein synthesis