Which bimolecule stores genetic information for body cells
The biomolecule that stores genetic information for body cells is called deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA for short. DNA is a type of nucleic acid, along with another biomolecule called ribonucleic acid, or RNA.
To understand how DNA stores genetic information, we need to dive into its structure and function. DNA is made up of a long chain of smaller units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of three components: a sugar molecule called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, or cytosine).
The nucleotides are joined together to form two strands that twist around each other to create a double helix structure. The nitrogenous bases interact with each other in a specific way: adenine always pairs with thymine, and guanine always pairs with cytosine. This is known as complementary base pairing.
The sequence of these nitrogenous bases along the DNA molecule is what encodes genetic information. Each stretch of DNA with a particular sequence of bases is called a gene. Genes contain instructions for building and maintaining an organism, including the traits and characteristics it will have.
The process of retrieving genetic information from DNA involves a complex series of events called gene expression. During gene expression, DNA is first transcribed into a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) through a process called transcription. This mRNA then carries the genetic information to ribosomes in the cell, where it is translated into proteins (the building blocks of cells and tissues) through a process called translation.
In summary, DNA is the biomolecule that stores genetic information in body cells. The sequence of nitrogenous bases along the DNA molecule encodes the instructions for building and maintaining an organism. The information is accessed through gene expression, which involves transcription of DNA into mRNA and translation of mRNA into proteins.