Any substance that forms the genetic material must fulfil some essential requirements:It must be stable.It should be able to carry and transcribe information which is required to control the processes.It should be able to replicate itself and remain unchanged while passing down from one generation to another.It must be able to mutate itself to provide variations.A genetic material must be able to store the information, transmit it, replicate it and provide variation.DNA fulfils all the above-mentioned requirements and hence acts as genetic material.