Major & Minor Grooves in a space-filling model of DNA
The major and minor grooves are opposite
each other, and each runs continuously along the entire
length of the
DNA molecule.
They arise from the antiparallel
arrangement of the two backbone strands. Note that the grooves are actual
structural
features of the molecule, not consequences of
the way it is drawn. The grooves are important in the
attachment of DNA
Binding Proteins involved in replication and
trascription.
All text material © 2011 by Steven M. Carr