Final answer:
A primer is a short nucleic acid strand that serves as the starting point for DNA synthesis. DNA, on the other hand, is the genetic material that contains the instructions for building and functioning of living organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
A primer is a short nucleic acid strand that is synthesized chemically and is complementary to the base sequence of the template DNA strands at the 3' ends. It serves as the starting point for DNA synthesis. In contrast, DNA is the genetic material that contains the instructions for building and functioning of living organisms. It consists of two complementary strands of nucleotides that form a double helix structure.