<p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA):<ul><li>An extremely long macromolecule that is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics in all life forms.</li><li>Constructed of two nucleotide strands coiled around each other in a ladderlike arrangement with the sidepieces composed of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine.</li><li>The genetic information of DNA is encoded in the sequence of the bases and is transcribed as the strands unwind and replicate.</li><li>The set of nongenetic traits, qualities, or features that characterize a person or thing, e.g., "Humility is just not in her DNA."</li></ul></li></ul>