How is there so much DNA inside a teeny tiny nucleus?

Compaction of DNA

• Your teacher has given you and your neighbor two arm length strands of yarn (both the same length)
• One partner should hold the tips of the strands while the other twists them together.
• Keep twisting until the string starts twisting back on itself.

One partner should hold the twisted strand, one side in each hand. Stretch your hands apart to pull it into a straight line.

The other partner should pull the two strands apart in the middle. Place their finger in the middle and run their finger back and forth.

This shows how the DNA opens to copy RNA and then closes again

Take the sheet of printed DNA Code.

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Transcribe the DNA into mRNA codons

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Using those codons, translate the corresponding amino acid.

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Untwist the yarn from the DNA compaction/transcription demonstration. Each partner should take a strand of yarn

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Select the correct bead per amino acid