DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic material that is contained within the nucleus of a human cell, does not have a specific color. DNA is a complex molecule that does not absorb or emit visible light, and therefore it does not have any inherent color. However, scientists often use dyes to visualize DNA in the lab, and these dyes can give the DNA a color. For example, ethidium bromide, a common DNA stain, fluoresces orange-red when it binds to DNA, which can make the DNA appear orange or red under ultraviolet light.