Synonym(s)
- deoxyribonucleic acid
- desoxyribonucleic acid
Definition(s)
- Deoxyribonucleic acid. The molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next.
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Definition from: Physician Data Query via Unified Medical Language System
at the National Library of Medicine
- DNA is the chemical name for the molecule that carries genetic instructions in all living things. The DNA molecule consists of two strands that wind around one another to form a shape known as a double helix. Each strand has a backbone made of alternating sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups. Attached to each sugar is one of four bases--adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The two strands are held together by bonds between the bases; adenine bonds with thymine, and cytosine bonds with guanine. The sequence of the bases along the backbones serves as instructions for assembling protein and RNA molecules.
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Definition from: Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms from the National Human Genome Research Institute
Related discussion in the Handbook
See also Understanding Medical Terminology.
