8.3 DNA Consists of Two Complementary and Antiparallel Nucleotide Strands That Form a Double Helix

DNA, though relatively simple in structure, has an elegance and beauty unsurpassed by other large molecules. It is useful to consider the structure of DNA at three levels of increasing complexity, known as the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of DNA. The primary structure of DNA refers to its nucleotide structure and how the nucleotides are joined together. The secondary structure refers to DNA’s stable three-dimensional configuration, the helical structure worked out by Watson and Crick. Later in this chapter, we will consider DNA’s tertiary structure, the complex packing arrangements of double-stranded DNA in chromosomes.