- Label the double helix: Nitrogen Base Pair (between complementary bases), Sugar/Phosphate Backbone (the outer strands).
- Color the original strands: Draw a thick BLUE line over each helix strand.
- In the unwound molecule, label: Deoxyribose Sugar (the small circles on the backbone), Phosphate (the connections between sugars), and The “Missing” Bases (the empty boxes opposite the existing bases).
- Color the unwound molecule: Sugars – ORANGE, A’s – GREEN, T’s – PINK, C’s – RED, G’s – PURPLE.
- In the unzipped molecule, label: The “Missing” Bases (the empty boxes), DNA Helicase (the cloud-like shape separating the strands).
- Color the unzipped molecule: Sugars – ORANGE, A’s – GREEN, T’s – PINK, C’s – RED, G’s – PURPLE.
- In the replicating DNA, label: The “Newly Added” Bases (the filled boxes on the new strands), DNA Polymerase (2x) (the two oval shapes where new bases are being added).
- Color the replicating DNA: All original bases BLUE, All newly added bases YELLOW.
- In the replicated DNA, color: Original Backbone BLUE, New Backbone YELLOW.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of dna the double helix worksheet answers.
