Guide to Nucleic Acids

DNA - US Nat'l Library of Medicine Historically, DNA—a nucleic acid—was first isolated from cellular nuclei by the nineteenth-century scientist Friedrich Miescher. It took more than eighty years before Nobel prizewinning chemists James Watson and Francis Crick were able to reveal its structure—a marvel of beauty. DNA is not the only member of the nucleic acid family, although it is certainly the most famous. Others include RNA (ribonucleic acid), m-RNA (messenger RNA), and t-RNA (transfer RNA). RNA carries information provided by DNA and is involved in the manufacture of peptides. But this is scratching the surface; there is much to learn. Allow informed Bright Hub contributors to assist you in learning.

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The Importance of Nucleic Acid

Could life be possible without nucleic acids? Probably not. Learn about the importance of nucleic acids in life, genetics, and diseases...

Ribonucleic Acid: Where is it Found in the Human Body?

RNA is primarily a linear nucleic acid polymer. Unlike DNA, it is not a double helix. The most common locations are in the cell nucleus, mitochondria and ribosomes....

Linus Pauling and the Discovery of DNA

Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century. He worked out the structure of proteins and was involved in the race to discover the structure of DNA. That...

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis: How it Works

Agarose gel electrophoresis, a process used to isolate nucleic acids, uses an electric field to separate molecules based on size....

Learn More About the Scientists Who Discovered DNA and its Structure

It was Watson and Crick's landmark paper that detailed the double helical structure of DNA, but there is also a long list of inspirational scientists who played key roles in one of the biggest discoveries...

DNA Structure: The Discovery of Nucleic Acid Structure

Long before Crick and Watson had worked out the structure of DNA, Phoebus Levene (1869-1940) had discovered that the cell nucleus contains two types of nucleic acids - DNA and...

Ribonucleic Acid: Where is it Found in the Human Body?

RNA is primarily a linear nucleic acid polymer. Unlike DNA, it is not a double helix. The most common locations are in the cell nucleus, mitochondria and ribosomes....