DNA is what makes you. It is the blueprint for your body. Without DNA there would be no you. It is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development and continued functioning of every single living organism and even some that aren't actually living (viruses). DNA is in every single cell in your body. It tells those cells what proteins to make. Mostly those proteins are enzymes. The DNA in your cells was inherited from your parents which is why you share traits with them, like hair color. While DNA is definitely a good and necessary thing, it can be used for sinister ends. Viruses replicate themselves by making use of DNA and in doing so they infect organisms. So what does DNA look like? It has a double helix shape, which basically means it is twisted into a giant spiral ladder and each step on the ladder consists of a pair of nucleotides. When DNA is copied, mistakes are sometimes made and these mistakes are known as mutations. Don't worry though, not all mutations are bad. Although sometimes the organism dies, some mutations are even good! Get ready to learn because these are 25 facts about DNA that will help you understand yourself! Follow us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/list25 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/list25 Website: http://list25.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/list25/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/list25/ Check out the physical list here: http://list25.com/25-facts-about-dna-that-will-help-you-understand-yourself/ Bdelloid rotifers are microscopic creatures that have been exclusively female for over 80 million years. They reproduce by stealing the DNA of other animals. If you were to type 1 word per second every day for 8 hours, it would take you 50 years to type out the human genome Instead of venom, Braconid wasps inject their victims with a virus that suppresses the victim's immune system and allows the wasp's parasitic larvae to grow within the victim. Scientists found that this virus is unlike any other virus on Earth. It is over 100 million years old and apparently assimilated itself into the very DNA of the wasp. If you ever have a bone marrow transplant, the DNA in your blood can include that of your donor (which has led to false arrests in the past) Siblings share 50% of their genes, as do parents and children DNA is damaged nearly 1 million times per day...in every single cell of your body. Fortunately, your body has an elaborate system of repairing it. If it didn't, this would lead to cancer or cell death When it comes to invertebrates, mudworms are our closest relatives (we have more DNA in common with them than we do with cockroaches or even an octopus) According to scientists, four families in Iceland have DNA only found in Native Americans. The evidence suggests that the Vikings brought a Native American woman back to Europe nearly 1,000 years ago. There is a hard drive on the International Space Station called the "immortality drive". It contains the DNA of people like Lance Armstrong and Stephan Hawking in case of a world wide catastrophe. Brooke Greenberg of Maryland was the size of an infant with the mental capacity of a toddler. She died recently at the age of 20. Scientists think her DNA may hold the key to "biological immortality" And more... Outro Links: 25 Biology Mysteries Humanity Has Not Figured Out Yet: http://bit.ly/1oTe4vg 25 Extinct Animals That Scientists Want To De-Extinct: http://bit.ly/1S6UkyS

• published: 12 Apr 2016
• views: 2520