CentralNotice From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search For a non-technical introduction to the topic, see Introduction to genetics . For other uses, see DNA (disambiguation) . The structure of the DNA double helix . The atoms in the structure are colour-coded by element and the detailed structure of two base pairs are shown in the bottom right. The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid ( i / d i ˌ ɒ k s i ˌ r aɪ b ɵ . nj uː ˌ k l eɪ . ɨ k ˈ æ s ɪ d / ; DNA ) is a molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in the development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses . DNA is a nucleic acid ; alongside proteins and carbohydrates , nucleic acids compose the three major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life . Most DNA molecules consist of two ...