DNA structure

Imagine that your body is like a big book that contains all the instructions for how to build and operate you. These instructions are written in a special code called DNA.

DNA is made up of four different chemical building blocks called "bases" and these bases are like letters in the code. They are abbreviated as A, T, C, and G. Your DNA has billions of these bases arranged in a specific order, like the letters in a word.

The DNA structure can be visualized as a twisted ladder, which is called a double helix. Imagine you have a long ladder that is twisted into a spiral shape, so it looks like a twisted rope. This is what DNA looks like.

The two sides of the ladder are made up of alternating sugar and phosphate molecules connected by chemical bonds. And the rungs of the ladder are the pairs of bases that are connected by hydrogen bonds.

The bases always pair up in a specific way: Adenine always pairs up with Thymine, and Cytosine always pairs up with Guanine. It's like a puzzle where the pieces only fit together in a certain way.

The specific order of the bases along the DNA molecule carries the genetic information that determines your traits, such as eye color, hair color, height, and whether you have a predisposition to certain diseases.

In summary, DNA is like a book of instructions, with A, T, C, and G bases composing the code. The DNA structure is a double helix, which is like a twisted ladder where the rungs are made up of paired bases. And the specific order of those bases determines all of your unique traits.