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Article: Double Helix
- Article from:
- The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
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Double Helix
The term double helix refers to the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which consists primarily of two linear strands of building blocks, termed nucleotides, which are linked to each other in a defined pattern. The result is visually similar to a ladder; the rungs of the ladder are the linkages between the nucleotides. As well, the nature of the nucleotide linkage imparts a right-handed twist to the ladderlike sturcture, so that the final structure looks something like a sprial staircase.
Genes, which are specific regions of DNA, contain the instructions for synthesizing every protein. Because life cannot exist without proteins, the discovery of DNA
’
s structure ...