UNIT OVERVIEW

Every living thing on Earth uses the same molecule to store instructions for life: DNA. This unit teaches you about DNA — what it looks like, where it is found, how it copies itself, and how it controls what proteins your cells make.

What you will learn:

• Where DNA is found in different types of cells
• How scientists discovered the structure of DNA
• The structure of DNA and how it relates to its function
• The difference between genes and non-coding DNA
• How DNA makes copies of itself (replication)
• The differences between DNA and RNA
• How cells use DNA to make proteins (transcription and translation)
• How DNA profiling works and why it is useful

What you should already know:

• Cell structure and organelles (Grade 10)
• The cell cycle and mitosis (Grade 10)
• Atoms, molecules, and chemical bonds (Grade 10)
• Protein structure and function (Grade 11)

Where this connects:

• Meiosis and genetic variation (Term 1)
• Human reproduction (Term 1)
• Evolution (Term 3)

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