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Concept

DNA

A detailed illustration of a DNA double helix, showcasing its spiral structure with visible sugar-phosphate backbones and base pairs.

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the long polymer that carries genetic information in nearly every living thing. Its backbone is a chain of covalently bonded sugars and phosphates; its two strands are held to each other by hydrogen bonds between paired bases. Strong enough to copy faithfully across generations, weak enough that an enzyme can unzip the helix when a cell needs to read it.

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