What is DNA?

Custom DNA synthesis involves creating unique genes and pieces of DNA usually for research purposes. Often custom DNA synthesis will be used by research facilities looking into the creation of vaccines for various viruses. These vaccines work by allowing doctors to administer a 'sampler' of a disease into the patient so that their body can develop the correct antibodies to fight it on future encounters. The important aspect of this though is that the vaccine itself does not pose a threat to the patient and is not potent enough to cause a serious reaction. This then is why DNA synthesis is necessary - in order to manipulate the genes of the virus and create a 'parred down' version that cannot reproduce as rapidly in order to cause symptoms.

Thus DNA synthesis is crucial for the creation of vaccines, and is generally useful in a range of research scenarios. However this leaves us with the question - precisely what is 'DNA', and how does it operate within our bodies and those of bacteria?

Well essentially DNA is an abbreviation of 'deoxyribonucleic acid' which is what DNA is made from. The purpose of DNA and of genes meanwhile is essentially to provide a 'blueprint' for the cells in the body, to tell them what your body should look like, where they need to assemble, and how to repair wounds etc. This DNA is kept in the nucleus of your cells. This is the nerve center which controls everything and is present in every single one of the cells in your body so that when your cells split and reproduce, so too is the DNA copied over and over. If you alter the code of that DNA, then when the cell splits it will function differently than it previously did, and the new code will gradually be copied and reproduced. This is the process through which gene doping is possible, and it is also what's responsible for cancers.

This DNA is in turn made up of genes. Genes are sections of DNA that are responsible for the production of proteins. In total you have somewhere between 25,000 and 35,000 genes, and each of these are responsible for creating roughly 10 proteins, meaning roughly 300,000 proteins in total.

Meanwhile each of these genes are made up of 46 chromosomes - 23 pairs which are arranged on what appears like a thread. The specific combinations of genes will then be sufficient to dictate major features about a person or a creature and every single gene is crucial for something. For instance something as important as the creation of haemoglobin which is the red blood cell that carries oxygen around the body, is reliant on just a few of the roughly 30,000 genes in the human body. If these were to be changed - whether due to mutation or something else - then that would result in a vast range of blood disorders such as some forms of anaemia.

DNA then is crucial for the creation of all life, and unravelling its secretes is allowing scientists to achieve truly remarkable things. With DNA synthesis it is now possible to order specific genes and to have these produced with no point of reference allowing for many miraculous discoveries to occur.