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how to tell if dna is alive or dead
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:34 pm
by softballsmiles1
I am doing a project on seeing if dna can live seperated from other cell components and if it does live how long by using an onion. But i do not know how to tell whether the dna is alive or dead. Can you help me?
Re: how to tell if dna is alive or dead
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:58 am
by deleted-2131
Hello softballsmiles1,
I'm not 100% certain I understand your question. DNA is a molecule, made up of atoms that are connected to one another in specific and intricate ways. The ways that these atoms are connected (structure) are largely responsible for the way that DNA behaves (functions). DNA is used to perform certain tasks in the cell (such as protein synthesis, mitosis, and meiosis), but it is not ever alive. Since DNA is not a living organism, it isn't alive while it is inside the cell and it isn't alive when it is outside the cell. It is never alive because it is not a living organism. This website explain this concept more fully:
http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/gen-link/1 ... 01248.html.
Good luck on your project! Let us know if we can be of more help!