What Is DNA?

DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, which was discovered by Jim Watson and Frances Crick in 1953. Having a helical structure it carries the genetics codes responsible for biological development. Found in almost every type of cell, DNA is located in the nucleus (the energy centre of the cell), where all the information about that cell is stored.
Its appearance is a long, double structured polymer chain of components such as nucleotides and proteins. Most often referred to as a person's hereditary factors, it is responsible for most inherited characteristics, including hair and eye colour, height, and predisposition to certain illness and disease.
Every person has their own unique DNA, comprising of 23 pairs of chromosomes and the mitochondrial DNA of their birth mother.
Due to everyone's unique DNA code, it has proved very useful in catching criminals (DNA is found in blood, saliva, semen and hair), medical research and in the development of genetics.

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Most often DNA is used in reference to Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which is a nucleic acid containing genetic instructions vital for the function and development of all living things. DNA has been found to be present in all known cellular life forms as well as in some viruses. Its main purpose in the cell is long-standing storage of information.

It could also refer to DNA replication, which involves gene dnaA and protein DnaA; gene dnaG and protein DnaG; gene dnaC and protein DnaC; and gene dnaB and the protein DnaB helicase.

As an abbreviation it could also refer to a number of organisations, software, newspapers, and computing terms and so on. For instance there is the Democratic National Assembly, which is a political party operating in Trinidad and Tobago; the computing term Distanced Networking Applications; and DNA Magazine, which is an Australian magazine specifically for gay men.

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