Structure:

DNA is shaped in a double helix, it looks like a twisted ladder. There are 2 strands of DNA.
It is made of nucleotides.
Nucleotides are made of
1) a 5-carbon sugar called deoxyribose
2) a phosphate group
3) a nitrogenous base
The bases in DNA are A T G C.   A<-->T   G<-->C

Function:
DNA is genetic information found in the nucleus of the cell.  DNA is the hereditary material that is passed on from one generation to the next during reproduction.  DNA is the instructions for life.  DNA is a protein. DNA is a nucleic acid. DNA works with RNA to direct and control the development and activities of all the cells in an organism

DNA’s main job is to carry on life. In order to carry out its job it:

• must be able to store information that can be passed on from one generation of cells to the next.  It must be able to store enough information to make an organism
• must be able to make a copy of itself in order to pass its information on again and again
• must be strong and stable so that it does not easily fall apart and cause perhaps harmful changes to the DNA.
• must be able to mutate or change slightly from time to time. These changes allow a species to produce the variations, on which natural selection acts, which can leas to the evolution of new species.