InfoCoBuild

How DNA is Folded in Cells and Why it Matters

DNA is the software that makes every living thing on our planet work. DNA is also a molecule that can be meters in length. So how does it fit inside a cell, and does it matter? Although very long, a DNA molecule is extremely thin, not more than a few water molecules across, which is why it easily fits inside a cell once it's been folded many thousands of times. How it folds is important. Dr. Jane Kondev explains the basic science of how DNA is folded up in viruses and cells and how solving this folding puzzle might affect our understanding of disease and cancer.

How DNA is Folded in Cells and Why it Matters


Related Links
DNA
This is a five-part PBS documentary series that tells a brief history of DNA science - from the discovery of the double helix structure to the mapping of the human genome to the latest research.
Are Genes the Software of Life?
The last 20 years have been marked by an astonishing growth in our knowledge about the molecules that make up living things.
The Cell
This is a BBC documentary series presented by Adam Rutherford, telling the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself.
Genetics as Revolution
The ideas of genetics are revolutionary. Today, technology is galvanising disruptive change in our understanding and ability to intervene with nature itself.