how DNA passes on genetic information?
In: 4
Each of your cells has a long long strand of DNA in it, which stretched out is about 6 feet long (seriously).
That DNA is made up of a long chain of 4 different molecules, which get abbreviated with the letters A,G,C, and T. The order that these molecules are in on the chain stores information on how to make different proteins, which are the molecules your body uses to pretty much “do” everything cells need to do (like moving, burning sugar for energy, making hormones, digesting food, etc). I don’t think it’s useful to get into the specifics of how it stores this information, but I’ll say that proteins themselves are made of long chains of smaller molecules, and that every group of three “letters” stands for a different one of these smaller molecules.
DNA has one other amazing ability–it can replicate itself. When cells divide, it copies itself and you end up with two copies of the same strand of DNA in the two new cells. When our bodies are making sperm or eggs, they are formed in a special way where a randomly selected half of the DNA chain is put in them, which combines with the randomly selected half in the other one when a baby is conceived. This means that babies have 50/50 of their DNA from their mom and dad, but exactly which parts of it come from which parent is random.
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