Describe the types of information encoded by the cross-rungs of DNA and outline the process of DNA replication.
The sequence in which DNA's cross-rungs appear encodes the hereditary information for an organism, provides the information for controlling a cell's attributes and functions, and contains the information necessary for DNA to replicate itself. The process of DNA replication involves several steps. First, the hydrogen bonds between the nitrogenous bases rupture and the two nucleotide chains begin to uncoil from the midpoint of the double helix. Second, DNA polymerase, an enzyme, brings deoxyribonucleotides that are free-floating in the nulceoplasm to each of the chains. In this way, each old chain acts as a template for the synthesis of the two new chains, and, consequently, two exact copies of the original double-stranded DNA molecule are produced, each containing one old and one new strand.
