Gallery

Amino Acids


Here are the 20 protein forming amino acids. Once they link together they are no longer 20 but one flesh.

DNA bases


There are only three letters in the DNA code, yet it is enough to write everything needed to sustain life. Here are the nucleo-bases drawn in a manner that makes them easy(er) to memorize.

This may help you memorize the DNA bases:


Here is a suggestion on how to memorize the DNA bases. It may not work for everyone because it’s not very “scientific” but strange associations tend to get remembered much better. Young people find this more helpful than those set in their ways:

Adenine
  1. Start with adenine. It is unique among the four. It is the only one that has the “ring of fire” (aromatic ring). It starts with “A”, so you can easily remember that it comes first.
  2. On top of the “top” atom of the ring, there is a “jester hat” (amino group). The top carbon is #1. This will come in handy for numbering the atoms.
  3. All atoms in the six member ring are sp2 hybridized, hence the aromatic ring. This helps figure out where the only light bulb (hydrogen) is.
  4. There are two nitrogens in each ring. They are not connected to each other, but only with carbons in between.
  5. The vertical division between the rings is “black” (carbons). You may think of it as the color of the souls of the people who divided the world.
  6. The five-member ring has two nitrogens that can be placed only one way because they can’t be next to each other.
  7. The double bond is on top of the single bond because “two is higher than one”.
  8. Check the valences of each atom. This gives you the number of hydrogens in the molecule (three).
  9. The numbering of atoms starts from the closest nitrogen to the the jester’s hat and goes clockwise. Once you finish the circle, the carbon underneath the hat is #6. The next connected atom (nitrogen) is #7, the connected carbon is #8 and finally, the last nitrogen is #9. The last one is important because that is the location where sugar molecules get connected in order to form a nucleotide.
  10. Take a break and let this sink in. Repeat a couple of times, ideally over a few days if you have time.
Guanine
  1. In guanine, the jester took off the hat and he is holding it in the hand downwards (position #3). Now you can see the bald head (oxygen).
  2. The lone oxygen atom is double-bonded.
  3. There is no ring of fire and the number of hydrogens is still three. This helps you figure out where the double bonds are located.
  4. The double bond on the left (C5-C6) is present on all bases (adenine as well we just show the “ring of fire” because there are three double bonds).
  5. Done!
Thymine
  1. Adenine pairs with thymine
  2. The bases are straight. It means that thymine looks more like guanine than adenine itself.
  3. There is no jester hat, but instead another double-bonded oxygen.
  4. The double bond on the left (C5-C6) is present in all bases
  5. On the opposite side of the second oxygen is a propeller (methyl group). Think of it as if Thymine liked flying.
  6. Check the valencies and add hydrogens where needed.
Cytosine
  1. Cytosine pairs with guanine, therefore it looks like adenine with jester’s hat on top.
  2. It doesn’t like to fly so there is no methyl group on C5. There is hydrogen instead.
Uracil
  1. Uracil is the same as thymine, it just doesn’t like to fly (no methyl group).

Congrats on memorizing the bases! Please keep in mind that there are many unimaginative people who will not appreciate this kind of approach to science. Be cautious of who you are explaining it to this way.