These chains come in a wide range of lengths. In humans a typical protein is about 400 amino acids long; some are a lot longer. Molecules of RNA, one of the two nucleic acids, can reach up to 100,000 ...

Nucleotides are the fundamental units that make up the genetic material of all living organisms. They are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic information. Nucleotides ...

EVERYTHING ON Earth is made of atoms, most of which are closely packed together in the form of minerals. Life has its uses for minerals—ask a coral reef—but its essence lies in atoms arranged as ...

Scientific American is the authority on science and technology for a general audience, with coverage that explains how research changes our understanding of the world and shapes our lives. First ...

A plethora of chemical or enzymatic methods are available to generate nucleic acids such as those labeled with fluorophores, enzymes and radioactive phosphates, or nucleotides modified with ...

This article was originally published with the title “The Nucleotide Sequence of a Nucleic Acid” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 214 No. 2 (February 1966), p. 30 ...