What is the complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes?

• A. RNA
• B. Proteins
• C. Carbohydrates
• D. DNA

Answer: (D)

DNA stores the genetic information and makes up chromosomes. It’s a long molecule built from nucleotides, and the order of those nucleotides encodes genes—the instructions for building proteins and RNA. Chromosomes are organized packages of DNA wrapped around proteins called histones, which helps condense and organize the genetic material during cell division. While RNA plays a crucial role in reading and translating that information, it is not the primary storage molecule for hereditary information in chromosomes. Proteins do the work encoded by DNA, and carbohydrates don’t carry genetic instructions. So DNA is the complex molecule that contains the genetic information found in chromosomes.