Why is DNA called the blueprint of life

Present inside every living cell, DNA is an elongated molecule which is entirely constructed out of two chains of nucleotides. The two strands are bonded together through the hydrogenous bonds that exist in between the two strands. The nucleotides can each be divided up into chiefly three components, namely the sugar molecule, the phosphate molecule and the nitrogenous base. Depending upon the particular type of nucleotide, the bases can be cytosine, thymine, guanine or adenine. It is within the base of the nucleotide that the information necessary for genetic formation of the being are stored. The reason as to why DNA is compared to blueprints is the fact that both of them contain the basic information and mapping, following which the construction is to be completed. In this case however, the construction is the building of the various kinds of proteins and RNA molecules which together give birth to life.

Genes are the sequential portions of DNA that contain all the information necessary to build the particular cells for the particular organs and this information is transferred to the cells through complementary base pairing. The total set of information that is contained within all the genes of a particular being is collectively known as the genotype of the being. The advanced information that the genes of an organism contain, includes everything about the organism like its nature, traits, characteristics, heredity, diseases, weaknesses (if any) or anything else for that matter. Coming down to a more foundation level, the most primary job of a gene is to create the different kinds of proteins (over 300,000) that would then be used to make everything else of that organism. Now, the genes obviously come from the parents of the organism and that is the reason why children often inherit the looks and the traits of their parents as well as their hereditary diseases and health issues. The interesting point here is that genes come in pairs and since only one copy of the two types of gene structures that parents have is passed on to their offspring, it is therefore inaccurate to assume that the offspring must be like its parents. If DNA is the blueprint of life then genes are the units of heredity.

It can therefore be concluded that terming DNA as the blueprint of life is indeed appropriate as the DNA contained within the nucleus of every cell in an organism’s body holds the information based on which everything about the organism will be built over time. Genes and heredity are often used synonymously as genes are the portions that are responsible for all the similarities between the children and their parents, be it the physical traits, the behavioral similarities or the hereditary health problems like cancer, blood sugar, baldness etc.