deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
DNA has a simple structure and system. It has a famous double helix structure that is a key part of its function. This shape arises from the backbones and the "rungs" connecting them. The backbones are simply alternating sugar and phosphate molecules. The "rungs" are the useful component. Each one is composed of two molecules that form "base pairs". These base pairs can be arranged and repeated in any order along the backbones. While only two molecules are involved in a base pair, there are four different bases: thymine, adenine, cytosine, and guanine. The bases are typically represented as T, A, C, and G respectively. The order of these bases is the information contained in the molecule.
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The structure of DNA was not fully understood until the 1950s (thanks to Watson and Crick), but many advances have been made since then. It is now possible to read the bases of DNA, known as sequencing. Even more impressive, is that strands of DNA can be manufactured, with the bases arranged in any order.