molekyylihappoa

Molekyylihappoa, known scientifically as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. It is a double helix structure, resembling a twisted ladder, composed of two long strands of nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of a phosphate group, a deoxyribose sugar, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), or thymine (T). The sequence of these bases along the DNA strands encodes genetic information.

The two strands of the DNA molecule are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases: adenine always pairs with thymine (A-T), and guanine always pairs with cytosine (G-C). This base pairing is crucial for DNA replication, the process by which DNA makes copies of itself, ensuring that genetic information is passed accurately from one generation to the next. DNA is found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells. Its primary function is to store and transmit hereditary information, directing the synthesis of proteins and other molecules essential for life. Variations in DNA sequences, known as genes, determine the traits of an individual.