The Popular Science Guide To DNA
DNA What is DNA? DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is one of the most important molecules for life on Earth. All known living organisms use genetic information in their cell growth and development, division, and function - and DNA is responsible for encoding that information. Structurally, DNA is a double helix (much like a spiral staircase), and each step in the chain is part of a long code that conveys the necessary genetic information. Then The idea that organisms pass on information has been with us for centuries - any look at three generations of humans (grandfather, father, and son, say) will usually demonstrate that, somehow, physical features are hereditary. Also, the theory of evolution assumes that a given generation of a species is a continuation, and perhaps adaptation, from its preceding generations. Yet, for a long time, there weren't any good explanations of how species inherit traits. DNA was isolated in 1869, and over...