Helix

A helix is like a curly Q. Imagine a pig's tail or the spiral slide at a playground. A helix is what happens when you curl or twist something around and around.

In science, we often use the word helix to talk about the shape of things like DNA. DNA contains all the instructions that tell our cells what to do. And its shape is a helix! That means that the DNA molecule curls and twists around itself like a long, spiraled ladder.

You can also see helix shapes in things like springs or curly hair. So whenever you see something that curls or twists around and around, you can call it a helix!