Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material that is carried from

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material that is carried from parents to children in living things, and it is an essential component of inheritance. It includes the genetic code that establishes an organism’s traits and qualities. Adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C) are the four nucleotide bases that make up the sequence in which these instructions are stored.

Genes are distinct DNA segments that are transferred from parents to their offspring during reproduction. A distinct set of instructions found in each gene directs the creation of particular proteins or useful RNA molecules. The building blocks of cells, proteins carry out a number of biological processes.

When gametes (sperm and egg cells) from two parents unite to form a zygote, the process of inheritance takes place during sexual reproduction.