dna definition quizlet
DNA. Short for deoxyribonucleic acid. The nucleic acid that is the genetic material determining the makeup of all living cells and many viruses. It consists of two strands of nucleotides linked together in a structure resembling a ladder twisted into a spiral.eoxyribonucleic acid, commonly called DNA, exists mainly in the nucleus and mitochondria of each cell in an organism. It consists of two long strands linked together in a structure resembling a ladder twisted into a spiral, called a double helix.