What Is DNA?

LaFountaine of Knowledge2 minutes read

DNA is the genetic code that directs bodily functions, discovered by Friedrich Miescher in 1869, with nucleotides forming genes for protein production. Humans have 23 pairs of inherited chromosomes that determine various traits, sharing 99.9% of DNA with others but remaining unique by just 0.1%.

Insights

  • DNA, discovered by Friedrich Miescher in 1869, contains genetic instructions crucial for bodily functions, with James Watson and Francis Crick's 1953 revelation of its double-helix structure and nucleotide composition shaping genes that guide protein synthesis.
  • While humans inherit 23 pairs of chromosomes from parents dictating traits such as hair and eye color, the remarkable genetic similarity among individuals, with 99.9% shared DNA, underscores the minuscule 0.1% variation that contributes to each person's uniqueness.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • What is DNA?

    Genetic code instructing body functions.

  • How many chromosomes do humans have?

    Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.

  • What did James Watson and Francis Crick discover about DNA?

    DNA is shaped like a double helix.

  • How much DNA do humans share with each other?

    Humans share 99.9% of DNA.

  • What are the nucleotides that make up DNA?

    Adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"DNA: The Genetic Blueprint of Life"

  • DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the code that instructs our bodies on how to function, discovered by Friedrich Miescher in 1869. James Watson and Francis Crick found in 1953 that DNA is shaped like a double helix, made of nucleotides adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, which form genes that direct cells in making proteins for growth and survival.
  • Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes inherited from parents, determining genetic traits like hair and eye color. Despite billions of possible DNA code combinations, humans share 99.9% of their DNA with others, making each person unique by just 0.1%.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.