What is DNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid, mainly known as DNA, is one of the main things that tells you apart from another person. Every single person, and other organisms, has different DNA. It is the hereditary material that determines who you are. DNA is located in two places; it is located in the nucleus and mitochondria of every cell in your body.
The Role of DNA DNA has many functions and roles. One of the main roles that DNA has is the proteins. Proteins are determined by the sequence of DNA. Like a blueprint, DNA has the instructions for the way each living thing functions. Also, DNA carries genetic information. For example, the coding of a way someone looks is carried by the DNA and is affected by the proteins that are made. DNA is the part of the nucleus that controls everything the cells do. Likewise, it controls the proteins produced within the cell. DNA might be microscopic, but has many important duties in life.
Functions of Genes and Proteins Genes and proteins are related in a big way. Well, basically, genes are the instructions for proteins. Genes are segments of DNA that codes for each trait. For example there would be a segment of DNA that codes for baldness, which also is a gene for baldness. Genes code for proteins, which codes for a trait. Genes are a more general part of DNA, while proteins are a more specific part of DNA.
The Structure of DNA The structure of DNA is pretty complex. The shape of DNA is a double helix, which is like a twisted ladder. Each strand is a nucleotide, so a double helix is two nucleotides. The "twisted ladder" of DNA is made up of bases, deoxyribose(sugar), and phosphate molecules. The rungs of the ladder are pairs of four different nitrogen bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Each one has a specific bases that it would bond to. For example, adenine will only bond with thymine, and guanine will only bond with cytosine. This is mainly known as the "Base Pair Rule". There are codes for each base; adenine's code is "A", thymine's code is "T", guanine's code is "G", cytosine's code is "C". The sides of the ladder are made up of alternating deoxyribose(sugar) molecules and phosphate molecules. DNA molecules can go one forever and ever, and they are packed in chromosomes in each cell.
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