Just about everyone now knows something about DNA (with some obvious notable exceptions). The term “template of life” has been repeatedly used in the press to describe this molecule. That is quite accurate because DNA is like a library of information which tells our cells which proteins to synthesize. Proteins are the key to life because they make up important structures of the body as well as hormones and the enzymes that govern the body’s numerous chemical reactions. DNA is a nucleic acid, a “polymer” composed of pieces called nucleotides strung together like beads on a necklace.
Each of these nucleotides is made up of a sugar called deoxyribose, a phosphate group and a molecule commonly referred to as a “base.” It is the sequence of the bases along the nucleic acid chain that holds genetic information. There are four such bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. You can read more about nucleotides and where they get their names right here.
