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Separate Chemistry · Paper 2 · Foundation + Higher · C7

DNA and other naturally occurring polymers

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DNA carries instructions

DNA is a very large molecule that stores genetic instructions for the development and functioning of organisms; it is also the genetic material of many viruses. Most DNA molecules consist of two polymer chains arranged as a double helix. Their monomers are nucleotides, and DNA uses four different nucleotide types. The order of these units carries information, rather than the molecule being a random mixture of four separate polymers.

Two intertwined chains with four types of repeating coloured units.

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Foundation + Higher · C7. Use alongside the shared C7 lessons.

AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 · 4.7.3.4. Original notes, questions and diagrams. Models are simplified; teaching data are illustrative.