DNA and inheritance

Define DNA, chromosomes, and genes, and explain the relationship between these structures.
Explain how genetic material is organised and passed from parents to offspring, leading to the inheritance of traits.
Name key scientists involved in discovering the structure of DNA and describe its basic double helix shape.

DNA, the genetic material that carries information about our traits, is organised into structures called chromosomes.
Each chromosome pair consists of one chromosome from each parent.
Genes, sections of DNA that contain information for specific traits, are located on these chromosomes.
Each gene contains the code the cell needs to make a different protein.

The relationship between chromosomes, DNA and genes.

We inherit half of our genetic material from our mother and half from our father.
This means that each chromosome pair we have contains one chromosome from each parent.
The specific genes we inherit from our parents determine the traits we exhibit.

Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, and Francis Crick were involved in the groundbreaking research that led to the discovery of DNA's structure.
Franklin and Wilkins used X-rays to produce an image of DNA.
Watson and Crick determined that DNA has a double helix shape, similar to a twisted ladder.
Their work revolutionised our understanding of genetics and inheritance.

DNA: (Deoxyribonucleic acid) The genetic material that carries information about an organism's traits.
Chromosomes: Structures found in the nucleus of cells that are made up of coiled DNA.
Genes: Specific sections of DNA located on chromosomes that contain the instructions for particular traits or for making proteins.
Traits: Observable characteristics or features of an organism that are determined by genes.
Inheritance: The process by which genetic information and traits are passed from parents to their offspring.
Proteins: Molecules made by cells according to the instructions coded in genes, which perform many functions in the body.
Double helix: The twisted ladder shape of the DNA molecule.

Research specific examples of human inherited traits (like eye colour, attached earlobes, or ability to roll the tongue) and discuss how they are passed down through generations.
Investigate the detailed chemical structure of DNA, learning about the four different bases (Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine) and how they pair up.