First there is ample proof that similar cells have the same quantity of DNA. For instance, cells of the lizard-like amphibian Salamander, contain 168x10-9 mgs of DNA each, while cells of the Jelly Fish contain 1,42x10-9 mgs. Humans however, fall between the two with 6x10-9 mgs of DNA for every cell. No other material in cells of same species maintains the same quantity except the DNA itself

Apparently, quantities of DNA in living organisms are tightly connected to the complexity of these organisms. The DNA strand in viral chromosomes doesn’t exceed 1/2000 inch in length and has around 170 base pairs while bacterial DNA is 1/400 inch tall with 7 million base pairs. However, DNA in human cells (microscopic cells) may stretch to 3 feet (91,5 cm) and contain around 6000 million base pairs which makes it the tallest genetic recipe ever known. It is noteworthy that minor mistakes in base-pairing might lead to disastrous results inside the cell which might in turn bring about the birth of a freak or an abnormal offspring.

The second evidence is known as the “Transforming Principle” which was discovered by Avery who established that the DNA is the hereditary material. This experiment demonstrated that the DNA of dead bacterial cells has an impact even when injected in living bacteria. Should the injected DNA manage to penetrate the living cell, it would be mixed up with the chromosomes inside which allows instruction cloning or transfer into the living bacteria.

To confirm the validity of this principle, we may consider the following experiment: if we ignite a matchstick and place it near a crawling worm, the worm would burn once it reaches the flame. However, if this worm was eaten by a bigger one, and that bigger one was again exposed to the flame, it would change direction to avoid burning, which reveals that it has acquired a previous experience with fire thanks to the DNA transferred to its body.

Chemically speaking, the DNA is composed of three simple elements: sugar, phosphate and nitrogenous compounds called bases. The base is a substance that reacts with the acid to form salts and the four bases of the DNA are: A. T. G. C. On the face of it, nothing seems extraordinary about DNA, but in fact, its importance lies in its structure and its ability to duplicate itself and transfer hereditary instructions eternally, which makes it an infinite bank of information.

Upon examination of the double helix, we notice that the sugar and phosphate make up the sides of the two twisted strands while the nitrogenous bases point inward to form the steps of the staircase-like structure. Each base pair is formed from two complementary nucleotides that pair up with each other A with T and G with C. On the other hand, there is no specific pattern for the sequence or order of these pairs and any two bound pairs may be repeated for one, ten or hundred times. The different sequence in the nucleotide structure composed of base, sugar and phosphate, is the code that allows horses to deliver horses instead of elephants or roosters. It is also responsible for determining eye color, skin type, finger shape and so many other features. In other words, the length and structure of the sequence is what distinguishes every DNA and gives it specific instructions that differ from other DNAs. Thus, every hereditary trait would have its unique code based on the sequence of the bases inside the double helix that is inside the chromosome’s DNA. Even the process of life cannot go on unless the massive troops of proteins receive specific instructions from the DNA. As a matter of fact, the millions of proteins distributed over a thousand living organisms within it share one common property: they receive instructions from the DNA.