Final answer:
Your DNA contains genes that encode the instructions for making proteins, which determine your traits. The sequence of nucleotides within your genes specifies the structure of these proteins, and the combination of alleles inherited from your parents shapes your traits. Additionally, environmental influences play a role in the expression of these traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
How DNA Determines Your Traits
The structure of your deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plays a crucial role in determining your traits because it contains genes, which are specific sequences of nucleotides that encode the instructions for making proteins. Proteins are essential for the structure and function of all the cells in your body. Genetic information is encoded in the sequence of four types of nucleotides—adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T)—which pair up and form the familiar double helix structure of the DNA molecule. These nucleotides sequence into genes, and each gene encodes the instruction for a particular protein. This process, known as the central dogma of biology, explains how the information in DNA is used to make proteins through the processes of transcription and translation.
Proteins, by their vast array of structures and functions, are responsible for the manifestation of traits such as eye color, hair color, and more complex characteristics like metabolism rates and predispositions to certain diseases. Each gene can exist in different forms, known as alleles, which can lead to different versions of a trait. The combination of alleles you inherit from your parents determines your unique set of traits.
Beyond the influence of DNA, your traits are also affected by the interaction with your environment. Some traits may be expressed or suppressed based on external conditions and life experiences. Therefore, the complex tapestry of who you are is woven from both your genetic blueprint and the environmental influences you encounter throughout life.
It's also worth noting that different types of cells in the body can express different genes even though they contain identical DNA, which results from selective gene expression allowing cells to perform their specialized functions.