Understanding DNA

This work explains step-by-step how DNA forms specific structures, the nature of these structures, and how they fundamentally affect the biological processes of transcription and replication. The functional properties of any molecule are directly related to and affected by its structure; this is especially true for DNA, the molecule that carries the code for all life on earth. The text includes many additional and updated references; summarizes the recent studies of DNA in disease and medicine; describes the basic units of DNA and how these form the double helix; characterizes the various types of DNA double helix that have been found; explains how and why DNA twists and curves; discusses the mechanisms of DNA supercoiling; summarizes the assembly of DNA and proteins into chromosomes; outlines the methods used to study DNA structure; describes the latest work on protein-DNA complexes; and contains simple exercises and further reading at the end of each chapter.