Dna Blueprint

All living things are based upon one thing that unites us all, DNA. DNA, standing for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is commonly compared to a blueprint. This blueprint orders a highly specific set of corresponding bases, which in turn codes for an amino acid. However, this specificity comes at a very high risk; a single error in a base could code for a completely different amino acid, causing a mutation that could devastate the organism. Recently, scientists have discovered a new method to edit and repair DNA that could hopefully complement the existing method of CRISPR.

DNA is a type of nucleic acid, a macromolecule found within a cell. DNA itself consists of two strands of nucleic acid in a double helix structure. Each of these strands consists of nucleotides, which in turn are made up of a pentose sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group. The “code” of DNA is contained within the nitrogenous bases. The nitrogenous bases are Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine, which are shorted to A, G, C, and T. These bases are paired within the structure, with A pairing with T, G pairing with C. Mutations are caused when the order of the nitrogenous bases is incorrect, altering the DNA in a typically unfavorable way.
This method makes use of special spacers within DNA that guide the enzyme Cas9 to the location. After Cas9 finds the location, it binds to the DNA, and cuts the DNA, which turns off the gene that was targeted. This method can also be manipulated in order to repair DNA. The downside to this is the cuts made by Cas9 affect more than just the single point mutation, because the cuts disrupt the DNA. This is where the gene editing technique comes into