What DNA Does
DNA is like an instruction manual for your body. It tells your cells how to grow, develop, and function. Every living organism, from bacteria to humans, uses DNA to pass information from one generation to the next. This is why children look similar to their parents.
How DNA Is Structured
DNA looks like a twisted ladder, called a double helix. The sides of the ladder are made of sugar and phosphate molecules, while the rungs are made of pairs of chemical bases. There are four types of bases, abbreviated as A, T, G, and C. These bases pair in specific ways: A with T, and G with C. The order of these bases creates the genetic code.
Genes and Chromosomes
A gene is a small section of DNA that codes for a specific trait, like eye color or height. Many genes grouped together form a chromosome. Humans have 46 chromosomes in most cells, arranged in 23 pairs. One chromosome from each pair comes from your mother and one from your father.
How DNA Works
When a cell needs to do something, it reads the instructions stored in DNA. It uses the sequence of bases to create proteins, which are molecules that do the actual work in your body. This process happens constantly to keep you alive and healthy.
Inheritance
You inherit half of your DNA from your mother and half from your father. This is why you may have your mother's eye color and your father's height. The DNA you inherit determines many of your characteristics, though environment and experiences also play important roles in who you become.