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Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) (Psychology)
A nucleic acid that is mostly located in the cell nucleus, though a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria. Almost every cell in a person's body con tains the same DNA, which is hereditary in all humans, almost all organisms, and some viruses. DNA is orga nized into structures called chromosomes in the form of firmly coined strands of large molecules. The main function of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often referred to as a set of blue prints as it contains all the instructions needed to synthesize proteins, which supply the biochemical basis for heredity. Within each DNA molecule are segments called genes, which carry this genetic information.