- Double helix
In
geometry a double helix (plural "helices") typically consists of two congruent helices with the same axis, differing by a translation along the axis, which may or may not be half-way. [ [http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/DoubleHelix/ "Double Helix"] by Sándor Kabai,The Wolfram Demonstrations Project , 2007.]In
molecular biology , the double helix refers to the structure ofDNA . The structure ofDNA was first published in the journal Nature byJames D. Watson andFrancis Crick in 1953cite journal|title=Nature|author=Watson and Crick|date=1953|issue=171|pages=737–8] , based upon data fromMaurice Wilkins andRosalind Franklin [ [http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/DNA_structure.php The Structure of the DNA Molecule] ] . Crick, Wilkins and Watson each received theNobel Prize for their contributions to the discoverycite website|title=Nobel Prize - List of All Nobel Laureates|url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/all/] . Franklin died before her contribution could be acknowledged, and due to the fact that they cannot be awarded posthumously, never received a Nobel Prize.The DNA double helix is a right-handed spiral polymer of
nucleic acids , held together bynucleotides which base pair togethercite book|author=Alberts et al.|date=1994|title=The Molecular Biology of the Cell|isbn=978-0815341055] . A single turn of the helix constitutes ten nucleotides. The double helix structure of DNA contains amajor groove andminor groove , the major groove being wider than the minor groove. Given the difference in widths of the major groove and minor groove, many proteins which bind to DNA do so through the wider major groove [cite journal |author=Pabo C, Sauer R |title=Protein-DNA recognition |journal=Annu Rev Biochem |volume=53 |pages=293–321 |year=1984 |pmid=6236744 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.bi.53.070184.001453 ] .The order, or sequence, of the nucleotides in the double helix within a
gene specifies theprimary structure of aprotein .References
See also
*
Nucleic acid
*DNA
* "Molecular structure of Nucleic Acids "
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
