How the structure of DNA allows it to serve as the basis for inheritance?
The unique basis for the function of DNA in inheritance must allow for permanent encoding of the structures of the multitude of proteins that comprise the living cell AND the ability to pass this information on to daughter cells after cell division. DNA is a two-stranded molecule. The linear strands lie parallel to one another and have a complementary structure. Think of just one of these strands for a moment. Like beads on a necklace the strand is composed of molecular units called bases. These bases (and their abbreviated notations) are adenine (A), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and guanine (G). These bases form what amounts to a 4-character alphabet. The sequence of bases specify an instruction (gene) that gives rise to a particular protein. Now, in the complementary strand each A in the first strand is matched to a T. And each C in the first strand is matched to a G in the complementary strand. During cell division the DNA molecule is replicated. The two strands separate and a new dou
