(noun. /dee-en-AY/)
by Brandon Le
What does it mean?
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that stores the instructions for life and is passed down from parent to offspring. DNA is made of subunits called nucleotides, and their sequence spells out a genetic code telling cells how to build proteins acting as building blocks and molecular machines called enzymes that make living things tick. All of your cells (except eggs and sperm) have the same DNA sequence inherited from each parent. If you unpacked the DNA from just one of your cells and stretched it out, it would be over six feet long. If you did this for all your cells, your DNA would span over 60 billion miles, long enough to make it to the moon and back over 150 thousand times!
How do I use it in a sentence?
Closely related individuals have similar DNA sequences. For example, about 12.5% of DNA is shared between first cousins. Siblings share about 50% unless they are identical twins, who inherit exactly the same DNA from their parents.
Related Terms:
Nucleotide
Nucleosome
Genome
Enhancer
RNA
Protein
Fields of study related to this term:
Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Genetics
