DNAinformation

DNAinformation refers to the genetic information encoded in the sequence of nucleotides within deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). It encompasses the instructions that guide the development, functioning, and reproduction of organisms, as well as the heritable information passed from parents to offspring. In most organisms, DNA information is distributed across two copies of the genome in diploid cells, though genomic organization varies.

DNA is composed of four nucleotides: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. Information is stored in the linear arrangement of these bases. Regions called genes encode information to produce RNA and, in many cases, proteins; large portions of genomes are noncoding and contain regulatory elements, structural DNA, or repetitive sequences. The basic processes of transcription and translation translate DNA information into functional products, while regulatory regions modulate when and where information is used.

The information content of DNA can be analyzed with ideas from information theory. Not all bases contribute equally to phenotype; coding sequences, regulatory elements, and noncoding regions contribute differently to function and heritability. Genome size, GC-content, and the density of coding versus noncoding regions vary across taxa, reflecting evolutionary history, constraint, and redundancy. Mutations introduce changes to information content, while natural selection and genetic drift shape which information is preserved.

DNAinformation is transmitted across generations through replication, mutation, and recombination, enabling inheritance and evolution. In addition to the sequence itself, epigenetic marks carry non-sequence-based information that can influence gene expression. Applications include genome sequencing, comparative genomics, and the emerging field of DNA data storage, which seeks to encode digital information in synthetic DNA.