How does DNA work? DNA is the most common biological molecule that we can find in a living form on our planet. But many people don’t quite understand deoxyribonucleic acid or, as we know in common terms, DNA. In this article, we will help you understand what DNA is and how it works. DNA is present in every cell in our body. WE can consider DNA as a genetic code that is responsible for making you. DNA contains all the information about your growth, development, functioning, and reproduction.

The reason why you are different from other people is that your genetic code is unique and different. For instance, people differ in eye color, height, etc. DNA is also the reason why birds have only two wings and why all giraffes have long necks. The amazing thing is that if you unravel the entire DNA in your body, it can reach the sun and come back 300 times. This article will help you understand everything you need to know about DNA:

What is DNA?

The short definition of DNA is that it is a long molecule and contains a unique genetic code for each individual. DNA also includes instructions about building various important proteins for various functions of our body. The information that is present in the DNA passes from parents to their offspring. Roughly half of the child’s DNA originates from the mother and half from the father.

DNA performs the genetic information or instructions about reproduction, growth, and other function of a living being. DNA testing is a process for identifying the DNA sequence and the changes it makes. The variations in genes are responsible for developing the risk of many health conditions.

With DNA or genetic testing, you can find the possible health conditions that you may develop. This will help in identifying conditions early and making changes to your lifestyle accordingly. Various advanced techniques and technologies are available to perform the DNA test with high accuracy and fast procedures. These include sequencing and genotyping. With the help of your DNA, you can find complete information about your fitness, nutrition, and health.

How does DNA create proteins?

There are two steps that genes require for creating protein.

·       Transcription

After copying the DNA, a messenger RNA or mRNA comes into being. RNA is an exact copy of a DNA but only contains a single strand. Furthermore, RNA does not include thymine (T), which is a base. Instead, RNA has uracil (U).

·       Translation

With the help of transfer RNA or tRNA, genetic engineers decode the mRNA into amino acid. mRNA contains codons. These codons work as a building block of protein.

Twenty amino acids make up a protein.

What are Genes?

Genes also instruct your cells on what functions they should perform and when. For instance, they tell cells to carry nerve cells, make bones, be a muscle, and much more. You may be wondering how genes can perform all these activities. They do so by making proteins. Every gene in the body is just a recipe for creating various types of proteins.

Now you may be wondering, why do I need proteins? Well, proteins make up a large part of our body. Around 50% of the dry weight that a cell contains is protein in one form or another. Other than that, protein also performs all the heavy functions of the body. These functions include communication between cells, immunity, circulation, digestion, and motion. These functions are possible through one protein from an estimate of 100,000 that your body manufactures.

However, the genes of your DNA are not directly responsible for manufacturing proteins. Instead, some special proteins are enzymes that read, transcribe, and copy the DNA code. An enzyme that utilizes the DNA as a template for building a single-stranded RNA molecule will unzip the DNA segment that needs transcribing.

The Secret of Coding

Every protein element in your body contains building blocks known as amino acids. Proteins require at least 20 types of amino acids to form. However, you will find only four types of nucleotides in the RNA and DNA. Imagine how a four-letter code can define 20 different types of amino acids.

The DNA code’s construction is, in a way that allows reading in triplets. Every word of the code has three letters. This word is called a codon. At the beginning and the ending, there is a unique starting and stopping codon. Every living being is using the same method or code for making protein.

Conclusion

With the help of DNA testing, you can find out everything about your physical appearance, health conditions, ethnicity, and family tree. Furthermore, you can also find out the diseases that you are at risk of developing.

If you want to take a DNA test from a laboratory accredited by AABB, you can call us at 718-701-0292 or visit our website.