What Is DNA?

LaFountaine of Knowledge3 minutes read

DNA is a code that shapes human traits through genes in chromosomes, with slight differences in DNA making individuals unique despite sharing 99.9% of genetic material with others.

Insights

  • Genetic information is stored in DNA, a molecule shaped like a double helix, containing nucleotides adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, which determine genetic traits by forming genes that regulate protein production.
  • While humans inherit 23 pairs of chromosomes from their parents, creating a vast array of possible DNA code combinations, individuals share 99.9% of their genetic material with others, with a mere 0.1% distinction accounting for the uniqueness of each person.

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Recent questions

  • What is DNA?

    Genetic code shaping human traits.

  • How many chromosomes do humans have?

    Humans possess 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 their DNA.

  • What are nucleotides in DNA?

    Building blocks forming genetic code.

Related videos

Summary

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"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 later found that DNA is shaped like a double helix, made up of nucleotides adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, which form genes that dictate protein production and ultimately determine genetic traits.
  • Humans possess 23 pairs of chromosomes inherited from parents, influencing characteristics like hair and eye color, height, and gender. Despite billions of possible DNA code combinations, humans share 99.9% of their DNA with others, with only a 0.1% difference making each individual unique.
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