Initialism

DNA

1. A substance inherent in living beings which determines their form, and can be used to uniquely identify a person.
2. (genetics) deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic material of nearly all forms of life.
3. (biochemistry) A biopolymer of deoxyribonucleic acids (a type of nucleic acid) that has four different chemical groups, called bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine.
4. Defense Nuclear Agency.
5. Did Not Answer.
6. Did Not Arrive (used when someone fails to keep an appointment).
7. Did Not Attend.
8. Do Not Assume.
9. Drugs 'n' alcohol.

Derived terms

• junk DNA
• mitochondrial DNA

• chloroplast DNA
• DNA test

• mtDNA
• rDNA

• ssDNA
• dsDNA

Related terms

• RNA
• PNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints or a recipe, or a code, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in regulating the use of this genetic information.

Chemically, DNA consists of two long polymers of simple units called nucleotides, with backbones made of sugars and phosphate groups joined by ester bonds. These two strands run in opposite directions to each other and are therefore anti-parallel. Attached to each sugar is one of four types of molecules called bases. It is the sequence of these four bases along the backbone that encodes information. This information is read using the genetic code, which specifies the sequence of the amino acids within proteins. The code is read by copying stretches of DNA into the related nucleic acid RNA, in a process called transcription.

Within cells, DNA is organized into long structures called chromosomes. These chromosomes are duplicated before cells divide, in a process called DNA replication. Eukaryotic organisms (animals, plants, fungi, and protists) store most of their DNA inside the cell nucleus and some of their DNA in organelles, such as mitochondria or chloroplasts. In contrast, prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) store their DNA only in the cytoplasm. Within the chromosomes, chromatin proteins such as histones compact and organize DNA. These compact structures guide the interactions between DNA and other proteins, helping control which parts of the DNA are transcribed.

This article is part of the series on:

Gene expression a Molecular biology topic (portal) (Glossary)

Prokaryotic / Archaeal / Eukaryotic

Prokaryotic / Archaeal / Eukaryotic