• Question: what does DNA stand for ?

    Asked by anon-315543 on 27 Mar 2022.
    • Photo: Veselina Georgieva

      Veselina Georgieva answered on 27 Mar 2022:

      I am not really a specialist in biology but my memory is that DNA is the chemical name for the molecule that carries genetic instructions in all living things or Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).

    • Photo: Richa Sharma

      Richa Sharma answered on 28 Mar 2022:

      Veselina is right. To elaborate the molecule DNA is an acid. One of its building blocks are ribose sugars, however these sugars have one less oxygen than normal- so they are termed as ‘deoxy’-ribose sugars. Hence deoxyribose nucleic acid. ‘Nucleic’ because they are usually found in the nuclei of cells. The nucleus is a sub-compartment on the cells of living beings. The nucleus contans mostly genetic material such as the DNA and few other essential biomolecules

    • Photo: Graeme Barker

      Graeme Barker answered on 29 Mar 2022:

      Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid. IT stores the genetic information (the “code”) needed to build an organism inside nucleus of cells. Compare with a related chemical, Ribose Nucleic Acid (RNA).

    • Photo: Charlay Wood

      Charlay Wood answered on 29 Mar 2022: last edited 29 Mar 2022 12:48 pm

      Deoxyribonucleic Acid

      Acid – because it’s an acidic molecule
      Nucleic – because it consists of nucleotides: ATCG
      Ribo – because it is attached to a ribose sugar
      Deoxy – because it’s missing an oxygen (compared to ribonucleic acid: RNA)

Comments