What is the role of nucleic acids in the body?

Nucleic acids are large molecules that carry tons of small details: all the genetic information. Nucleic acids are found in every living thing — plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, fungi — that uses and converts energy. read more

The main role of nucleic acids is to store information that is used to make proteins. Nucleic acids come in two main forms: deoxyribonucleic acids, also known as DNA, and ribonucleic acids, also known as RNA. The main function of DNA is to store the genetic information that cells in the body need to function. read more

There are many different roles that nucleic acids, which include DNA and RNA, play in the human body and in other living organisms. Scientists continue to identify new and different functions of nucleic acids on a regular basis. The most common functions, however, relate to the encoding of genetic information and production of proteins. read more