What is DNA?

A deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) a nucleic acid into cells of all living organisms. Often referred to as the building blocks of life "as the DNA encodes the genetic material it deems that a body now. In addition to maintaining the genetic maps of his mother, the DNA also makes a number of other functions necessary for life .

This nucleic acid was first identified in 1889 when Friedrich Miescher received a substance known nuclein researcher in human cells. In the 20th century, some researchers, including William Astbury Phoebus Levene and nuclein research, beginning with an understanding of the elements, structure and functioning of life. An article published in Nature in 1953 by James Watson and Crick, Franklin, often referred to as the decline in revolutionary research of DNA, as a properly constructed in the different structure of DNA, with significant support from scientists Rosalind Franklin.

DNA consists of nucleotide chains built for the sugar-phosphate and fold around itself in the form of double helix. The spine supports four bases, guanine, cytosine, adenine and thymine. Guanine and cytosine are complementary, there are always at each other in the Helix, as adenine and thymine. This is important in the replication of DNA, allowing a chain of divide and copy themselves, as you only need half the things in order to reproduce successfully the Helix.

The nucleic acids are able to replicate, and also contains the code required for the synthesis of RNA, other nucleic acids critical. They are also a number of base pairs together to create the genetic code to determine things like eye color and structure of the body. Each cell in the body of DNA, which is more or less equal, more than the DNA that occur around the time the reproduction of cells. The majority of noncoding DNA in most organisms, namely, that seems to have no known function.

When the DNA to change the substance known as a mutagen, could health problems. Some mutagenic effect on DNA in sperm and ova, or services, growth of congenital anomalies. Others may alter living organisms, which contribute to the development of various health problems. Mutagenic often introduce errors when copying, which means that the error be repeated many times that the data DNA damage perpetuated.