die  DNA

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/deːɛnˈʔaː/

🧬 What does "die DNA" mean?

Die DNA is the abbreviation for Desoxyribonukleinsäure (deoxyribonucleic acid). It's a macromolecule found in all living organisms and many viruses. Die DNA carries the genetic information, essentially the blueprint for the development and function of an organism.

It usually exists in the form of a double helix. The article is feminine: die DNA, because it refers to die Säure (the acid, specifically nucleic acid).

⚠️ Although it's an abbreviation for a German term, the English abbreviation "DNA" (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is predominantly used. The German abbreviation "DNS" is less common but also correct.

🔬 Grammar of "die DNA" in Detail

The word "DNA" is feminine (Femininum) and is typically used only in the singular, as it refers to a substance or concept. A plural form is very unusual.

Declension (Singular)

Note: A plural form ("die DNAs") is grammatically possible but extremely rare and usually only conceivable in specific technical contexts (e.g., referring to different types of DNA molecules). In general usage, it remains singular.

Example Sentences 📝

• Die Struktur der DNA wurde 1953 entdeckt.
  (The structure of the DNA was discovered in 1953.)
• Wissenschaftler analysieren die DNA, um Erbkrankheiten zu verstehen.
  (Scientists analyze the DNA to understand hereditary diseases.)
• In jeder Zelle unseres Körpers befindet sich DNA.
  (DNA is located in every cell of our body.)
• Mit modernen Methoden kann man die DNA sehr schnell sequenzieren.
  (With modern methods, one can sequence the DNA very quickly.)

Usage in Daily Life and Expert Language 🤓

The term die DNA is primarily used in scientific, medical, and biological contexts.

• Wissenschaft & Forschung (Science & Research): Describing genes, heredity, evolution.
• Medizin (Medicine): Diagnosis of genetic diseases, gene therapy, paternity tests.
• Forensik (Forensics): Identification of individuals based on genetic traces (DNA-Analyse).
• Alltagssprache (Everyday Language): Often used metaphorically, e.g., "Das liegt in seiner DNA" (That's in his DNA, meaning it's typical for him/deeply ingrained).

Although "DNS" is the correct German abbreviation for Desoxyribonukleinsäure, the English abbreviation "DNA" has become established internationally and also in German.

Memory Aids for "die DNA" 🤔

Article Mnemonic: Think of the full German word: Desoxyribonukleinsäure. Säure (acid) is feminine, so die Säure → die DNA.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine DNA as the Detailed Network Architecture of life.

Word Connections: Synonyms & Similar Terms 🔄

A Little Joke 😄

Warum hat die DNA eine Brille getragen?
Weil sie ihre Gene nicht finden konnte! 😉

(Why did the DNA wear glasses?
Because it couldn't find its genes! [pun on 'genes' and 'jeans'])

Ode to DNA 📜

Die DNA, ein feiner Strang,
enthält des Lebens Baugesang.
In jeder Zelle tief versteckt,
hat sie den Code längst entdeckt.

Von Adenin bis Guanin rein,
Thymin, Cytosin – so muss es sein.
Als Doppelhelix elegant,
hält sie das Erbe in der Hand.

(The DNA, a slender strand,
holds life's construction song at hand.
In every cell, concealed so deep,
the code it has long learned to keep.)

(From Adenine to Guanine pure,
Thymine, Cytosine – must endure.
As double helix, elegant,
it holds inheritance, heaven-sent.)

A Little Riddle about DNA ❓

Ich bin ein Code, doch kein Computer spricht mich klar.
Ich bin in dir, in jedem Tier, seit Anbeginn sogar.
Ich winde mich in Spiralen fein,
bin der Bauplan – wer mag ich sein?

(I am a code, but no computer speaks me clearly.
I am in you, in every animal, since the very beginning.
I twist myself in fine spirals,
I am the blueprint – who might I be?)

Solution: die DNA

Further Information 💡

• Internationale Abkürzung (International Abbreviation): DNA is the internationally used abbreviation for Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
• Struktur (Structure): The famous double helix structure (Doppelhelix) was described in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick, based on the work of Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins.
• Größe (Size): The total DNA in a human body, if stretched out end-to-end, would reach to the sun and back multiple times.