Immortal Coils Richard Dawkins Analysis

Understanding DNA can take a lot of studying and confusion to even get the general idea of the concept. The structure of DNA is very complicated and complex to understand, but researchers James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin all developed the idea of the DNA structure in 1953. Deoxyribonucleic Acid is found in the nucleus of the cell. It is a double stranded molecule that contains the genetic code and is the main component of chromosomes. DNA is the blueprint of organisms. Nucleotides are the basic unit of DNA and they are made up of sugar, phosphate, and one of the four basis including adenine,

With his provoking work entitled The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins attempts to answer such questions as he proposes a shift in the evolutionary paradigm. Working through the metaphor of a "selfish gene", Dawkins constructs an evolutionary model using a gene as the fundamental unit of selection, opposed to the more commonly accepted belief of the species as the unit of selection.

Traits get passed down from one generation to the next through Meiosis (cell division), where each parent gives you one Gene for each trait.

The author explains the basics of DNA by describing the simple part of it, “proteins are the molecules that do all of the work in every organism, from carrying oxygen, to building tissue, to copying DNA for the next generation” (Carroll 73). He also explained the four bases that are building blocks that are held together by strong bonds and are represented by the letters A, C, G and T. Scientist also learned that A and T always pair with each other as well as G and C, this helps them because if they know one strand of DNA they already know the second because of how the bases match up. The author states that scientists have found about 500 genes that exist in all forms of life, the author explains that these genes are “immortal”. These genes have endured millions of years of evolution and have not been mutated because they are essential for every organism to have; these genes can have important jobs such as decoding of the DNA and RNA and making

Structure and function in Biology is a broad concept that can be explored within a diverse range of topics across the subject matter. The following essay will be focussed mainly on the subject of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or more commonly DNA. DNA is a highly complex, intricate and extraordinary macromolecule found within all living cells. DNA is a "biochemical noun" and can be defined as "...a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information." [Oxford Dictionary, c2016] DNA is found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, enclosed within a double membrane. Eukaryotic cells are multifaceted and require a high level of regulation to ensure smooth functioning. The double membrane of the nucleus allows gene expression, a key function of DNA, to be efficiently regulated.

Chapter 1: Genes can be demonstrated as “instruction books for making functional markers such as ribonucleic acid(RNA) and proteins”(Chapter 1, page 4). Distinctively, the four nitrogenous bases to code the gene of DNA is adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. In addition, Rosalind Franklin was among the primitive people to experiment with X rays as a form of molecular photography in order to learn more about DNA and its structure. The structure of DNA taught a constitutional fact about genetics; it stated that the two strands of DNA were complementary to each other. Moreover, DNA replicates in order to make new sets of

In what he called the ‘survival of the fittest’, Darwin suggested that through the process of natural selection animals with particular characteristics, as a result of possessing advantageous alleles, will survive. However, those with maladaptive genes cannot adapt to changes in environmental conditions, so will die or become extinct. Dowling (1994) stated that this process depends on three principles: species diversity, interaction and the spread of a species as a result of differential amplification. Sexual selection is another component of Darwin’s research, which explains the best strategies adopted for passing on genes to offspring. Moreover, there are problems with Darwin’s theory such as his attempts to generalise animal behaviour to the way in which humans interact in their environment. However, he has presented compelling evidence which is very scientific in its approach and methodology. Furthermore, contrary to Darwin’s evolutionary idea of survival of an individual, Dawkins (1976) suggested that the survival of the genes is more important.

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or in its’ simple form DNA, contains the code for all characteristics of an organism which is completed by a double helix structure. The structure is made up of a back bone and the four gene groups which include thymine, adenine, cytosine and guanine. The double helix structure contributes to the cell division process

Each gene has a different line up of letters. These letters are read in three letter intervals called codons. These codons have the specific instructions to create a certain protein based on the order of the three letters. Each gene has seven codons, which make seven proteins that are held together by peptide bonds. A peptide bond is a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group from one molecule reacts to the amino group of the other molecule. This releases a molecule of water. The seven proteins that are connected by the peptide bonds, create a chain called a polypeptide chain. A polypeptide chain is a chain of amino acids, which are connected by a peptide bond. We are made from a double-helix shaped molecules called Deoxyribonucleic Acid, which is commonly called DNA. DNA, when stretched out, is six feet long. It is wrapped around itself many times to make a chromosome. Forty-six chromosomes fit into the nucleus of a cell. This six feet of DNA is equivalent to around twenty-three thousand genes. These twenty-three thousand genes work together to create all living things. DNA is the building blocks of all life on Earth. We are

DNA, Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the basic structure for all life, it is the blueprint, the instruction manual, on how to build a living organism. DNA is made up of four nitrogen bases, adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine which are connected by sugar-phosphate bonds. Through a process called Protein Synthesis, the nitrogen bases are the code for the creation of amino acids. Essentially, DNA makes amino acids, amino acids make proteins, proteins make organisms. This process has been taking place for much longer than scientists have been able to document. Those scientists are called geneticists and their field is genetics.

Genes is the physical and functional unit of heredity which are made up of DNA. It carries the information of that determines traits that are passed on by the parents. There are two copies of genes which comes from each parents which is to be exact twenty chromosome from each parent to make up forty six chromosome in a baby. As by the

DNA is a long curved structure, made up of pairs of four specific bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, is the repository of a code from which all of our cells are made. The code is made up of base pairs which look like the

This experiment looks at the relationship between genes, generations of a population and if genes are carried from one generation to another. By studying Drosophila melanogaster, starting with a parent group we crossed a variety of flies and observe the characteristics of the F1 generation. We then concluded that sex-linked genes and autosomal genes could indeed be traced through from the parent generation to the F1 generation.

All living organisms, from amoebas to humans, have a molecular code called DNA in their cells, which instruct the activities that keep the organism alive. DNA is made up of long, twisted strands of four molecular “letters” (A, T, G, and C), which pair up according to their complementary base pairs, and their order determines how proteins — the vital molecules that perform all the major tasks in our cells — are made. (Refer to Diagram 1 to help sum up the concept.)

Heredity – the transmission of traits from one generation to another, from parents to offspring; the protoplasmic continuity between parents and offspring