Final answer:
The statement that DNA carries instructions for all cellular functions and determines an organism's characteristics is true. DNA's primary roles are in inheritance and regulating protein synthesis, which dictates an organism's structure and function.
Step-by-step explanation:
DNA carries the instructions to produce molecules that carry out all of the functions of a cell required for life and ultimately determines the chemical and physical characteristics of living organisms. The statement in question is true. DNA serves two primary cellular functions: it is the genetic material passed from parent to offspring, and it contains the information to direct and regulate the construction of proteins necessary for a cell's functions.
The Central Dogma of molecular biology explains that DNA is organized into genes, which dictate the sequence of messenger RNA (mRNA). This mRNA then specifies the amino acid sequence of proteins. These proteins are critical as they determine the structure and function of all your cells.
The genotype of an organism is its complete set of genes, which contain the blueprints for all cellular structures and functions. The phenotype, on the other hand, refers to the observable characteristics of an organism, which result from the proteins produced at a specific time under certain environmental conditions. Therefore, DNA shapes the phenotype by programming the orderly biosynthesis of cells and tissue components.