ABSTRACT
This chapter will introduce the biologically important molecule, DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is the genetic material, carrying within its structure the code of life, thus it is important to understand how this molecule arose on Earth, how scientists determined that DNA held the code of life, what the structure of the molecule is, and how this holds the genetic information. Terms and concepts that will be explored in more detail in this book are introduced here, forming the fundamental background and concepts of bacterial genetics and genomics.
