Final answer:
DNA contains unique instructions for making proteins vital for cellular structure and function. The sequence of amino acids in these proteins is encoded by the genetic code within our DNA, guided by the central dogma of molecular biology. The genome consists of genes that determine phenotypes through the synthesis of proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person's body has the same DNA. The central dogma of molecular biology explains how the information in DNA encodes for the synthesis of proteins, which are crucial for numerous cellular functions.
Genetic code determines the specific sequence of amino acids in proteins, thus influencing their shape and function within the cell. The process through which DNA dictates protein synthesis begins with the transcription of DNA into messenger RNA (mRNA), followed by the translation of mRNA into a polypeptide chain of amino acids.
The entirety of a cell's DNA is referred to as its genome, and the functional segment of DNA that provides the genetic information necessary to build a protein is called a gene. The physical manifestation of these genes, the phenotype, is influenced by the proteins expressed by the cell, which is determined by gene expression modulated by environmental conditions.
Summarily, proteins begin with genes, the unit of heredity, working as blueprints for protein molecules that execute vital cellular activities, including structural and biochemical functions like enzymes catalyzing reactions.