OnScreen DNA Lite application was designed to help you learn or to teach in depth about the DNA molecule's structure.OnScreen DNA Lite gives everyone a free and "painless" way to grasp the details of the double helix structure of DNA and its chemical composition. This is accomplished by on-screen tutorials that guide you through an exploration of a virtual 3D model.

Numerous aids to learning and understanding, including popup labels, an auxiliary linear representation of the model, the ability to rotate the model in space and to toggle between single and double strand views, make this software fun to play with. With the help of the on-screen guides, you can become completely at home with the 3D structure of DNA and learn the names of its component molecules and chemical bonds.

Of course the base pairing is made clear, but so are the polarity and right-handedness of the DNA strands and what those terms mean. In addition to the structure-teaching activity, there is a simulation of DNA denaturation, a laboratory phenomenon important in biotechnology, in which the DNA strands are seen to split apart.

OnScreen DNA Lite can be used for classroom demonstrations as well as self-guided learning. Its two activities are taken from the more advanced editions of OnScreen DNA sold by OnScreen Science, Inc., which include detailed simulations of gene transcription and DNA replication. All of the experience gained in the use of the virtual model and on-screen tools can be applied to these advanced editions, making the move up an easy one.