Desoxyribonucleic
Desoxyribonucleic refers to deoxyribonucleic acid, commonly known as DNA. It is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. DNA is a double helix structure, resembling a twisted ladder. The sides of the ladder are made of alternating sugar and phosphate groups, while the rungs are formed by pairs of nitrogenous bases. There are four types of nitrogenous bases in DNA: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). These bases pair specifically, with adenine always bonding with thymine, and guanine always bonding with cytosine. This specific pairing is crucial for DNA replication and the accurate transmission of genetic information. The sequence of these bases along the DNA strand encodes genetic information, much like letters form words and sentences. Genes, segments of DNA, contain the instructions for building proteins, which perform a vast array of functions within cells and organisms. DNA is found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells. Its remarkable ability to store and transmit hereditary information is fundamental to life as we know it.