DNA

The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of human beings is inherited from one’s parents — about half from the mother and half by the father. DNA instructs cells in the body what they are to do and when they are to do it. Everything a cell does is coded in DNA –, e.g., which cells will make hair, what color the hair will be, etc. Our DNA carries our genetic information and sets us apart from every other human being. As we grow, DNA must replicate itself to pass on the instructions to new cells and it relies on RNA (ribonucleic acid) to do this. This is accomplished when a molecule called RNA polymerase attaches to a promoter located on a DNA strand. When that attachment occurs, the DNA strands unwind and the polymerase creates a template of the information. Once the strands are copied, the polymerase disengages, becomes known as the messenger RNA (mRNA) and passes on the information to another cell.