DNA

Cuddly DNA soft toy.

FACTS: Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the amazing molecular double helix that contains the genetic codes for all known life.

The human genome contains about 3 billion letters (bases), or a billion words (codons). These words, collected in 23 chromosomes, describe the more than 20,000 genes that are the substance of our bodies. Some genes take a few hundred words to describe, some take hundreds of thousands.

99% of the DNA in every individual is identical – and indeed, much of our DNA is shared with every living creature on Earth.

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