DNA Games

Demonstration example | Pavel Boytchev | 2015 (translated 2020)

DNA is an abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. It stores the genetic information that is specific to an organism. The DNA molecule consists of two twisted polymers composed of 4 types of nucleotides. Nucleotides have the same basic structure (monosaccharides and phosphate groups), but have attached nucleobases – special molecules whose sequence determines the encoded genetic information.

Nucleobases

The four types of nucleotides are grouped into successive triplets called codons. There are 64 different codons, but they correspond to 20 amino acids. The codon and amino acid mapping is called Genetic Code.

Genetic code

This project has two micro games have been implemented to help you practice your knowledge of nucleobases and genetic code. In the DNA Matching game a fragment of one polymer is given and the purpose is to complement the other polymer using knowledge of how nucleotides form pairs. The other game is DNA Building. Its challenge is to arrange the nucleotides in the appropriate order as to encode a specific sequence of amino acids.

DNA Matching DNA Building