DNA: Unlocking the Secrets of Life

April 25, 1953 was a momentous day for science. James Watson and Francis Crick had finally uncovered the structure of DNA, the molecule behind all forms of life on Earth, and their results were published in the journal 'Nature'. This discovery was probably the single most important discovery of the 20th century.

Almost everyone has heard of DNA, but still very few people can tell you what DNA really is. DNA is an abbreviation for the term Deoxyribonucleic Acid. How does DNA affect you? DNA is what gives you similarities to other people, and what makes you unique and different from everyone else. DNA is acids that are the basis of heredity in more organisms, like in humans; nicknamed the link of generations and the code of life. It is a series of amazing molecules created by the all-powerful God and it is wonderfully stunning to learn about.

A DNA molecule consists of a twisted spiral or the scientific term double helix.

Animation of the structure of a section of DNA. Th...

English: The structure of DNA showing with detail ...

From left to right, the structures of A-, B- and Z...

DNA is a chemical type substance with a immensely complex structure. The chemical made up of genes is DNA; it is found inside genes, inside chromosomes, and inside the nucleus of a cell. Each chromosome is made up of a tightly coiled strand, a molecule of DNA. However, only 99% of DNA is found inside the chromosomes. Did you know that both the egg and sperm hold DNA? When you are born, you receive twenty-three chromosomes from your mother and twenty-three from your father. Therefore, you get a total of forty-six chromosomes from your parents, reproducing rapidly.

Every cell except for the red blood cell carries a blueprint of DNA. A molecule of DNA holds coded plans for thousands of proteins, and then length of the strand is called a gene. As mentioned above in the introduction,