DNA Structure

The structure of DNA is composed up of base pairs, deoxyribose sugar, and phosphate. Each pair is either adenine with thymine (A with T) or guanine with cytosine, (G with C). DNA is shaped in the for of a double helix, or a twisted ladder. The outer part of the helix is made up of phosphate groups, which consist of deoxyribose sugar and phosphate. Then, going across the helix is a base pair. The paired bases simply join together across the gap between the strands of phosphate groups. Each phosphate group and base is a nucleotide. DNA is composed of various such nucleotides that twist in the form of a double helix.

DNA replicates by splitting from a double helix into two separate single helices. New nucleotides then form in the correct base pairs and make two new double helices.