Discovering DNA

In 1868, a biologist named Freidreich Meischer carried out research which indicated that the nucleus of cells contains a material which he called nuclein. It was not until much later, in the 1940s, that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was recognised as the carrier of the genetic code. The human genome consists of around 6 billion base pairs. An important factor of DNA is that it is able to make copies of itself, or replicate. Using our Discovering DNA activity, extract DNA from a plant, or even yourself, using simple materials like washing up liquid and water!