ok well i bought about 4 avarage sized cans of playdoh because i needed it to make a 3D model of DNA but i am having a lot of trouble making a double helix because the playdoh isn't very well EVEN WITH TOOTHPICKS!!! i have tried just toothpick with play dough and then i tried taking two toothpicks ,covering them with playdoh and then tried just one toothpick not using much playdoh, but nothing seems to work!! what do i do? should i change my materials? if i should, what should i use? if you have found anysites or any pictures that could help me with my situation..pla post them...
2006-12-10 00:46:32 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
So you are saying put it in a ladder form(which i have already done) and then twist it after its dry to make a double helix?
2006-12-10 00:53:42 · update #1
Did i for get to mention.. it HAS to be in a double-helix
2006-12-10 01:04:57 · update #2
Playdoh will harden as hard as a rock if baked in your oven. Perhaps this fact could help you with portions of your task. I would get some of those super long match sticks and only partially break them in such a way that they remain together but become twisted into a spiral, then cover them with playdoh and bake it in the oven to harden it. Just a thought.
2006-12-10 02:05:30 · answer #1 · answered by Sciencenut 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a whole bunch of 1" diameter or less styrofoam balls. 4 colors of paint. a lot of pipecleaners of the same 4 colors as the paint. a couple tubes of superglue. split up the balls into 4 groups, however many per group you want. each group gets painted a different color. take the pipecleaners. match the colors to the painted balls. cut the pipecleaners to be about 3 or 4 inch long pieces. put a little dab of superglue on one end of the pipcleaner and jam that end a little into the corresponding colored ball. do this for all the balls. make sure you know which color is which DNA base, then pair up the bases accordingly, putting a dab of superglue on the free end of the pipecleaners and sticking them together. hold it for about 30 seconds to it takes hold and it's good. pair up and glue together as many base pairs as you like in this manner. once you've got them all paired, line then up like a ladder (just laying flat on the floor is fine for now). find a picture of DNA online. start assembling the double helix by putting a dab of the glue on the same side of the 2 colored balls of one ladder "rung" and putting another pair on top, but slightly off center. continue to glue them together in the form of the DNA double helix, making sure to show the major and minor grooves. and there you have it! if it's not sturdy enough the way it is, then you can take some toothpicks and glue then along the edges of the molecule (on the sides of the colored balls opposite the pipecleaners) and paint over them with the ball colors. get a stick long enough to put down the middle of your double helix and fasten it in place. add a bottom to it if you like so it can sit on a desk. don't forget a color guide! good luck!
2016-05-23 01:52:53 · answer #2 · answered by Winifred 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
give time for the playdo to harden tilt the project on its side or try doing the dna in the latter stage not helix
2006-12-10 00:49:12 · answer #3 · answered by Aubrey F 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋