what is DNA

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WHAT IS DNA

This is an acronym which in full refers to Deoxyribonucleic acid . This is a nucleic acid that is made up of genes which are responsible for the growth and development of all living organisms . It is a hereditary material in all living organisms with the highest concentration being found in the nucleus of a cell . This discussion seeks to find out what DNA is all about and its various functions in the body . DNA consists of four chemical bases namely

thymine , guanine , cytosine and adenine . These four chemical bases pair to form what is known as base pairs . In addition each an every one of these bases has a molecule of phosphate and sugar to it . A base that has these two attachments is referred to as a nucleotide (Easteal , S . 30-33

To be able to clearly understand how DNA works it is important to look at some of the properties of DNA . DNA has both physical and chemical properties which influence the manner in which it functions . One of the properties is replication . This means that DNA has the ability to make several copies of itself . This property plays an important role in cell division as the newly formed cell must be exactly like the old one

As already mentioned DNA exist in pairs as opposed to single molecules A pair of DNA takes the shape of a helix whose stability is maintained by bonds of hydrogen . Basic pairing is...