Loading…
Loading…
GCSE Combined Science · key term
The molecule that carries genetic information. It is a polymer made of two strands forming a double helix.
Used by AQA and Edexcel
Specification 4.1.1.1, 4.1.2.1, 4.6.1.3 · Paper 1, Paper 2
The molecule that carries genetic information in cells.
Revise: Eukaryotes and prokaryotesCells also contain genetic material: DNA, which carries genetic information.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: the molecule that carries genetic instructions for an organism’s growth and development.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Deoxyribonucleic acid: the genetic material, consisting of two nucleotide strands coiled into a double helix.
Revise: Reproduction and DNADNA is the genetic material of cells. In the nucleus, it is organised into structures called chromosomes, which carry genes. A diploid cell has two sets of chromosomes: one inherited from each parent.
Keep the relationship clear: chromosomes are made of DNA, and genes are short sections of that DNA.
Describe DNA as a polymer of two strands forming a double helix, not as two chromosomes twisted together.
Keep the structures distinct: a nucleotide is a DNA subunit; a gene is a section of DNA; the genome is the organism’s entire DNA.
Create a free account to read GCSE Combined Science revision notes for your exam board and track your progress.