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From: "Diana Gale Matthiesen" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Picture of a SNP?
Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 12:30:32 -0400
References: <4DBF7BE1.1040604@jarman.net>,<781564FAD39749BDACF4B1DED086C56A@kenPC> <COL116-W408C6A04A13170ACF61506E49E0@phx.gbl><A78C175A6C0C4A6293B2D715681568FA@kenPC>
In-Reply-To: <A78C175A6C0C4A6293B2D715681568FA@kenPC>


An object has to be larger than the wavelength of the medium used to
detect it, or it will be "invisible" to that medium. Atoms and
molecules cannot be seen using visible light because they're smaller
than the wavelengths of visible light.

The DNA molecule is about 2.5 nm wide and its constituent atoms are
even smaller, while the wavelength of visible light is in the range of
390-750 nm. Atoms and molecules can be "detected" with higher
frequency (shorter wavelength) electromagnetic radiation, such as
X-rays, but the idea of ever "seeing" atoms or molecules is a
non-starter.

Diana

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [mailto:genealogy-dna-
> ] On Behalf Of Kenneth Nordtvedt
> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 10:10 AM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [DNA] Picture of a SNP?
>
> Some of the editions of the Watson book "the double helix" have
> photos of
> the Watson-Crick models they constructed of chromosome, using sticks
> and
> ping pong balls, etc. They had tables of the angles and bond
> lengths
> between and sizes of the atoms and molecules which composed dna
> material, so
> their chore was to build a structure which obeyed those properties
> and
> fulfilled other clues they had about dna structure such as xray
> diffraction
> patterns.
>
> As to literally seeing; I think there are some super generalized
> microscope
> devices which may be able to see the chromosome strands of parts,
> and maybe
> even distinquish between the shape and size of the A,G,C, and T
> molecules.
> We need some device in any case to see; normally it is the eye but
> the power
> to see is now augmented by other tools.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nelda Percival
> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 11:23 PM
> To:
> Subject: Re: [DNA] Picture of a SNP?
>
>
> Ken,
> Do you know where such a representation can be found on the
> internet? I'd
> like to see a Chromosome. If they are basically the same except for
> size
> then a picture of one is good enough... but I like doing graphics
> and would
> like to try to represent it..in my drawings.
> but all there is... that I can find are graphic representations..
> What does
> it really look like?
>
> thanks
> Nelda
>
> Nelda
> http://freepages.folklore.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~bonsteinandgilpin/
>
>
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