The Basics of DNA

We all know english alphabets, but do you know the significance of the letters - A, T, C, and G in the field of Science? These four letters make up who you are. They are the building blocks of all people, including all other living creatures! These letters exist inside you and live in all of your cells, arranged in millions of different patterns called DNA. The patterns that make you up are unique – no one else in the world, except your twin, if you have one, has the same combination of letters. Basically, they tell our cells what to do from the minute we are born to the day our body cease to exist.

Think of DNA like an instruction book that all cells must follow. Essentially, our cells use machinery called ribosomes to read the DNA patterns and create proteins. Each pattern of DNA creates a different protein, allowing your body to do thousands of different things like growing, fighting off infections, and digesting food.

If you decide to have children, they will have both your and your partner’s DNA. However, whenever you make a child, changes in the DNA occur which give your child different traits and features from yourself and your spouse. This is why you can look like your parents, but not exactly like them.

This happens with most other animals. When two animals have a baby, their DNA is combined and slightly changed to create a child that is different its parents. These changes in DNA are very small, but over millions and millions of years, they can lead to new species. When life began on earth, the creatures looked very different from us. Each time they reproduced, a child with slightly different DNA was made. The changes were so small, you probably couldn’t tell the difference. But after billions of years and billions of DNA changes, the differences built up, allowing all the different creatures you see today to exist!

Your DNA is supposed to remain the same throughout your life, but it can become damaged if you do harmful activities such as smoking or not putting on sunscreen when you go outside. When this happens, cells can start to act wildly, causing terrible diseases such as cancer. Eating good food, getting plenty of exercise, and staying happy will help to preserve your DNA and keep you healthy.

DNA

Picture Source:IBGenetics