a question about DNA?

Question

this might sound sorta stupid, but i was wondering...where exactly is our DNA? like in our bodies i mean...is it in our blood or something?? and can you like physicaly hold a peice of DNA? also, do you know how big it is??

i have always wondered this.
thank you!

Answer 1

In our bodies. It's in the cell. It's contained in the nucleus. The DNA's main job is to give instruction on how to make protein. The nucleolus makes the proteins. The nucleus's job is to contain the DNA so it doesn't leave, but allows copies of the DNA to leave. This is how genetic mutations happen, it's when the DNA is copied wrong. Even if 1 gene is copied wrong, the entire helix is messed up. You can hold a DNA indirectly because your holding cells. I'm not sure on size, but it's smaller than an organelle and larger than an atom.

Answer 2

DNA is in all cells except blood cells (red blood) but is commonly extracted from white blood cell from what is called the buffy coat (layer between serum and red blood.
DNA is very small if I was to take a plant leaf and do a common extraction such as CTAB, which is cleaner than the commonly used phenol extractions I personally for more difficult plants get around 5000ng of pure DNA which isnt a lot. Enough to make a small 2-6 mm dot in a tube. Of course there is more there that hasnt been extracted, but in general there is never enough to do anything with only one leaf. For any further experiments you then have to amplify the DNA of specific regions of interest using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or cloning a DNA fragment into bacteria (Vector).
You can extract numerous amounts of DNA and physically hold it, when its wet and precipitated in Ethanol it makes a long string of goo, if left to dry it is a white power. Remember DNA is nothing but a polymer of chemicals, (sugar and phosphates) nothing magical.

If you want to view DNA you would view the chromosome which is not difficult if you have a microscope (100x).
If you do have a mutation it does not mean you will have a defect as one person mentioned as multiple codons (individual groups of DNA) can encode the same protein. with no effect or it may cause a minor change in the efficiency of a protein and therefore you get differences for the same disease but at varying levels of severity.

Answer 3

The vast majority of our DNA is inside structures called "nucleus" which are inside almost every cell (just not red blood cells).

A piece of DNA is very, very thin (it is, after all a molecule), but our DNA has so many genes that if stretched out, a human DNA molecule would be about 2-3 meters (= about 6-9 feet) long; see:

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1998/StevenChen.shtml

Answer 4

DNA is found at the cellular level. Every cell in your body contains DNA, which is why a single hair or drop of bodily fluid is plenty to get a DNA sample.

Answer 5

DNA is located within the nucleus of every cell in your body. It sometimes wraps itself into coils called chromosomes. It stays in this state unless the cell goes though Mitosis or Miosis

Answer 6

It is are genes. It is used in reproduction for a baby. You and your mate will use half of each other genes. Like in a baby you give 50% of your genes to the baby. DNA

Answer 7

your DNA can be found in your spit, blood, hair, finger nail .. just about anywhere on you && its every where (kinda like god) and its not visible so its very microscopic (small)

Answer 8

You should have learned this in grade 7 and 9

In each cell's nucleus.