In the seventh-grade Life Science classes, students have been exploring the amazing intricacies of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

DNA is the genetic material that carries all of the information about an organism and directs all the functions of each cell. Students learned about the double helix structure of DNA, including the nitrogen bases adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, as well as the backbone molecules deoxyribose and phosphate.

Throughout the unit, students built their own DNA models to explain the complex structure and properties of DNA.

In the lab this week, students extracted actual DNA from organisms! With parent/guardian permission, they will even extract their own DNA!