Even if you are not a molecular biologist, any self-respecting microbiologist needs to know the basics of DNA.

Here are 10 questions on DNA for you to ponder. I will try and provide the answers to the best of my ability.

1) In a sentence, give a definition of DNA?

2) Who discovered DNA and when?

3) What does the acronym DNA stand for?

4) What is the basic structure and how does this relate to its’name?

5) Why is DNA double stranded?

6) What shape does the DNA usually take when in double stranded form? (Who discovered this?!)

7) Why are the two strands in double stranded DNA complementary?

8) In it’s most simple terms, how does DNA translate into protein?

9) What is supercoiled DNA?

10) What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Click here for the answers.