Let’s go step by step to understand what you’re being asked to do in this worksheet.
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This is a coloring and labeling activity about DNA and RNA. You’re not solving math or logic problems — you’re following instructions to color parts of diagrams based on scientific facts.
Here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Color the DNA double helix (the twisted ladder)
- The sides of the ladder are made of alternating
sugar and
phosphate.
- Color all
phosphates →
pink
- Color all
deoxyriboses (the sugar) →
blue
> Note: In the diagram, one phosphate is labeled “p” and one deoxyribose is labeled “D”. Use those as guides.
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Step 2: Color the rungs (nitrogen bases)
The rungs are pairs of nitrogen bases. There are four types:
- Adenine (A) → pair with Thymine (T)
- Guanine (G) → pair with Cytosine (C)
Color them like this:
-
Thymines →
orange
-
Adenines →
green
-
Guanines →
purple
-
Cytosines →
yellow
> Remember: A always pairs with T, G always pairs with C. That’s the Base-Pair Rule.
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Step 3: Understand nucleotides
Each rung + its attached sugar and phosphate = one
nucleotide.
You already colored the bases above — now make sure the whole nucleotide uses the same colors for consistency.
Also note:
- Purines (adenine and guanine) have double rings → color them purple and green.
- Pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine) have single rings → color them orange and yellow.
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Step 4: Color hydrogen bonds
The two sides of the DNA ladder are held together by
hydrogen bonds between the base pairs.
→ Color these
gray
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Step 5: Messenger RNA (mRNA) section
mRNA is similar to DNA but has some differences:
- It’s a
single strand
- Instead of thymine, it has
uracil (U)
- Its sugar is
ribose, not deoxyribose
Instructions for mRNA:
- Color the
ribose →
DARKER BLUE (different from DNA’s blue!)
- Color the
uracil →
brown
> Also, remember: mRNA does NOT have thymine — so don’t color any thymines brown! Only uracil gets brown.
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Final Checklist Before You Finish:
✔ Phosphates = pink
✔ Deoxyriboses (DNA sugar) = blue
✔ Thymines = orange
✔ Adenines = green
✔ Guanines = purple
✔ Cytosines = yellow
✔ Hydrogen bonds = gray
✔ Ribose (in mRNA) = DARKER BLUE
✔ Uracil (in mRNA) = brown
Make sure you’re coloring the right parts in each diagram — look at the labels (“p”, “D”, etc.) to help you.
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Final Answer:
Follow the coloring instructions exactly as listed above for DNA and mRNA structures. No written answer needed — your completed colored diagram is the solution.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of dna the double helix worksheet answers.