| − | DNA, otherwise known as deoxyribonucleic acid, is a [[chemical]] that encodes the [[gene]]tic instructions for the development of living organisms. All living creatures contain DNA, and the DNA of two creatures' offspring is a combination of its parents' DNA. | + | DNA, otherwise known as deoxyribonucleic acid, is a [[chemical]] that encodes the [[gene]]tic instructions for the development of living organisms. All living creatures contain DNA, and the DNA of two creatures' offspring is a combination of its parents' DNA. In addition there is a random process called [[mutation]], which changes single elements or entire parts of the DNA of a life form. |