How does DNA carry the instructions for building a living thing?
The Tiny Cookbook
How does DNA carry the instructions for building a living thing?
Imagine the world's longest cookbook, written so small you could fit it inside a single dot. Every living thing — you, an oak tree, a curious cat — keeps a copy of its own cookbook tucked inside almost every cell. That cookbook is DNA, and it holds the recipes for building and running a whole body.
DNA looks like a twisted ladder — a spiral staircase coiled up tight. The two side rails hold the steps, and each step is made of two little chemical pieces that snap together. Those pieces are the secret. They come in only four kinds, and we nickname them A, T, C, and G.
