• Question: Why do we have DNA

    Asked by anon-281204 on 27 Mar 2021.
    • Photo: Alba Park de la Torriente

      Alba Park de la Torriente answered on 27 Mar 2021:

      Our DNA has all the information that our different cells need to function properly. For example, imagine that a liver cell needs to produce a hormone that your body needs. This cell can look into one part of the DNA that it has in its nucleus and read the instructions to produce this hormone. A copy of this instructions is written (in a slightly different format called RNA) and sent to a machine called ribosome, where the message with the instruction is passed through while a protein (the hormone) is produced.
      DNA also provides the information to our cells to create copies of themselves (or slightly different), so that they can replace old and dying cells.
      Finally, DNA in eggs (females) and sperm (males) gives half of the necessary information to form a baby!

      Here is a 5 minute video that explains about this

      https://ed.ted.com/lessons/dna-the-book-of-you-joe-hanson

    • Photo: Callum Thomas

      Callum Thomas answered on 28 Mar 2021:

      DNA is like the instructions that tell all the different cells in our body what to do. You can think of it like a code that the cell can read and use to produce different proteins that make up the cell. It also allows information to pass from one generation to another. For example, you get DNA from each of your parents and if you have children you will pass some of your DNA on to them. This is how we can “inherit” things like blue eyes or red hair from one generation to the next. This is important as it is the basis for evolution: if a change to DNA produces a change that gives you an advantage in your environment, you will be more likely to pass this change on to your children than others without this advantage.

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