DNA or DNA in Portuguese, is the acronym for deoxyribonucleic acid, which is a organic compost 
whose molecules contain the genetic instructions that coordinate the development and functioning of all living beings and some viruses.
The main role of DNA is to store the information necessary for the construction of proteins and RNA.
DNA is found in the nucleus of an organism's cells, inside the chromosomes, except in the red blood cells, which do not have a nucleus.
The segments of DNA that contain genetic information are called genes, the rest of the sequence is of structural importance or is involved in regulating the use of genetic information.
The structure of the DNA molecule was jointly discovered by the American James Watson and by Briton Francis Crick in 1953, and nine years later were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
With the exception of identical twins, the DNA of each individual is unique, each human being has two forms of each gene, one that it receives from the mother and one that it receives from the father. Even though most genes are the same between people, some DNA sequences vary from person to person. To find out the paternity of a child, a DNA test is performed, which will confirm its genetic origin.
See also: chromatin and proteins.
mitochondrial DNA
There is also mitochondrial DNA, which is not found in the nucleus of cells, but in the mitochondria. Mitochondrial genetic material is inherited exclusively from the maternal part.
Mitochondrial DNA often makes it possible to obtain information about a being, even if they are in an advanced state of degradation.
See too:
- Fetal develop
- RNA
- DNA and RNA