Final answer:
DNA's hereditary information is stored in its sequence of bases, consisting of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine, which form specific pairs within the double helix structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
James Watson and Francis Crick concluded that the DNA molecule could carry a vast amount of hereditary information in its sequence of bases. This sequence, composed of adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G), is the key to the genetic code.
The DNA structure is a double helix with two strands that are anti-parallel and complementary, meaning one strand runs from 5' to 3' while the other runs from 3' to 5'. The bases form pairs through hydrogen bonding, with adenine pairing with thymine and cytosine pairing with guanine.
The complementary base pairing is crucial for DNA replication and protein synthesis. This arrangement allows for a vast combination of sequences to encode the necessary information for life.