DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a very important part of our lives today. It is found in the nucleus of cells on the chromosomes. It is found in many cell organelles, such as plasmids in bacteria, chloroplasts in plants, and mitochondria in both plants and animals. DNA helps us to perform many actions in solving crimes, doing paternity tests, and also helps us to do scientific studies that were not possible until the middle 1900's. DNA has been one of the most popular subjects of study ever since it was discovered.
             Scientists James Watson and Francis Crick first discovered DNA in 1953. On April 2, they published a journal article that was only one page in length, but has changed the life of everyone forever. Watson and Crick claimed that DNA is made of two chains of nucleotides joined together by the nitrogen bases. The bases hold the two nucleotides together because they are complementary of each other, or one's base determines the other's base. The four bases are: adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. Adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine. DNA is also in the shape of a double helix, or twisted ladder.
             DNA has two specific functions. It provides for protein synthesis and for the growth and development of an organism. It also furnishes all descendants of the organism with protein-synthesizing information by replicating itself and passing a copy to each offspring. This information, known as the genetic code, lies in the sequence of bases of DNA, which specifies the sequence of amino acids in a protein. DNA does not act directly in the process of protein synthesis. Instead it acts through the formation of a particular type of RNA called messenger RNA.
             The DNA technology that we have today is an extremely important part of scientific research today. Without the knowledge we have about it we could not do such applications as: paternity tests, solving crimes and other cases, and etc. Geneticists also use tes...