What does the acronym DNA stand for?

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What does the acronym DNA stand for? DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. The name describes both its chemistry and its classification: it is a nucleic acid built from nucleotides containing the sugar deoxyribose.

A DNA nucleotide has three main parts: a deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate group, and one nitrogenous base. The four standard bases are adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Long chains of these nucleotides form DNA’s two complementary strands, which coil into a double helix.

DNA stores the hereditary instructions used in the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of living organisms. Cells copy DNA through complementary base pairing, and they can use portions of its sequence as instructions for making RNA and proteins. DNA is often confused with RNA, which stands for ribonucleic acid. RNA contains ribose and usually uses uracil in place of DNA’s thymine.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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