A large molecule that contains the genetic code of organisms that includes animals, plants, and some viruses.
DNA is located in the nucleus (or core) of each cell of the organism and gives instruction to each cell on the proteins it must make to ensure the life of the organism.
The shape of DNA is like a long, twisted ladder. The two strands twist to form a stable 3-dimensional double helix. The main function of DNA is to encode the sequence of amino acid residues in proteins, using the genetic code. DNA is very important as it holds the information for making new cells and maintaining the life of the organism.