Abstract

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that carries genetic information that makes up every organism. DNA is typically introduced into the biology curriculum starting in high school and depending on an individual's educational path can continue through college. Although taught frequently during school, elements of DNA can be difficult for students to grasp, due to the different visual representations of DNA found in various resources. For instance, when comparing an illustration of a chemically accurate nucleotide base to an abstract visualization of a chromosome learners often aren’t given enough scaffolding to see how one representation relates to the other, which can impede learning. This project set about to create an interactive webpage, that uses the DNA Landscape model, to illustrate and animate different levels of abstraction and scale of DNA. The DNA Landscape model consists of a nine-box grid with various visualizations of DNA. On the X-axis is scale (nucleotide bases to whole chromosomes) and on the Y-axis is abstraction (accurate to very abstract illustrations). Two adjacent boxes can be selected and subsequently, an animation demonstrates the relationship between the two illustrations. The animations clearly illustrate the transitions between visual representations of DNA to help learners understand how one image relates to the next. Additionally, each box has an information page that explains basic information for that illustration of DNA. The interactive function of the tool allows students to explore the concepts that they find most confusing. To help students recognize the importance of DNA’s structure, the interactive specifically uses the structure of the beta-globin gene for all the illustrations and animations. Overall, this project helps students understand how to visualize DNAs scale and structure and apply this knowledge to more complex concepts and processes that use DNA.

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Medical Illustration(MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Medical Illustration

College

College of Health Sciences and Technology

Advisor

Jim Perkins

Advisor/Committee Member

Craig Foster

Advisor/Committee Member

Dina Newman

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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