Page 72 - The Miracle of Protein

70 THE MIRACLE OF PROTEIN

The structure of the DNA; the body’s data bank. DNA molecule is com-
prised of four different nucleotides that are arranged in a very specific
sequence. Their sequences determine all the details about the proteins
to be used.

nine), G (guanine), C (cytosine) and T (thymine). The sequence
of these molecules establishes the structures of all the proteins
used by living things. In other words, in every human being's

DNA the information regarding the proteins that determine his
own characteristics—so much information that it could fill a li-
brary of encyclopedias—is written in a four-letter alphabet.
That information, enough to fill hundreds of encyclope-

dias, is encoded in a nanometric world smaller than one mil-
lionth of a millimeter is truly extraordinary. Written out, this
information would fill one thousand 500-page encyclopedia