so can you look at DNA? – Genomics Zone

Question: so can you look at DNA?
- Keywords:
  dna
Asked by explosionman to Matthew on 4 Mar 2017. This question was also asked by Aid3n.
- Matthew Bainbridge answered on 4 Mar 2017:
  
  You can’t directly “look” at DNA like you could a rope (for example) because DNA is too small. The way we can read DNA is by attaching chemicals to the DNA (called dyes) that light up when we shine a laser on them. DNA is made up of 4 different ‘building blocks’ — we attached a different colored dye to each building block and then we can tell what block is there based on the color we see.
  
  If you can follow this link (http://tucf-genomics.tufts.edu/images/faq02_pic03.jpg?1378237298) — Each dot you see if a different strand of DNA. The different colors are different bases. A sequencing machine takes millions of these types of pictures and then figures out what the DNA sequence is. All I see in the end is a lot string of letters like this: ACGTGATCGA…

Question: so can you look at DNA?