DNA

DNA is a nucleic acid that stores hereditary information in most cellular organisms. Its strands are built from deoxyribose nucleotides and use thymine rather than uracil.

DNA replication: The cellular process that copies DNA before cell division. Complementary strands let each existing strand guide construction of a new one.
Nucleotide: A molecule composed of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. DNA is a chain of nucleotides joined through their sugar-phosphate groups.
Frederick Griffith: A British bacteriologist whose 1928 experiments revealed bacterial transformation. His results first suggested that hereditary traits could pass between bacterial cells.
DNA sequencing: The determination of the order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule. Sequencing reveals the exact genetic information stored in a DNA sample.
RNA: A nucleic acid usually composed of ribose nucleotides and uracil, with diverse cellular roles. RNA shares DNA’s nucleotide architecture but differs in sugar, one base, and typical function.
Transcription: The synthesis of RNA from a DNA template. It converts selected DNA sequences into RNA that can direct gene expression.
Deoxyribose: A five-carbon sugar that forms part of DNA nucleotides. Its missing oxygen atom distinguishes DNA’s sugar from ribose in RNA.
Oswald Avery: A physician and researcher who helped identify DNA as the transforming substance in bacteria. His team’s experiments showed that DNA carried the transforming activity.
Polymerase chain reaction: A laboratory method for amplifying selected DNA sequences through repeated cycles of copying. PCR makes small amounts of DNA available for analysis and testing.
Protein: A polymer of amino acids that performs structural, catalytic, transport, and regulatory functions in cells. Proteins carry out many cellular functions, while DNA stores hereditary sequences.

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