*short for deoxyribonucleic acid; the set of molecules that contain the genetic code for each living thing, and that are the basis for genetic traits passed from parents to their offspring; DNA is made up of genes grouped into strands called chromosomes | *short for deoxyribonucleic acid; the set of molecules that contain the genetic code for each living thing, and that are the basis for genetic traits passed from parents to their offspring; DNA is made up of genes grouped into strands called chromosomes |