Introduction
This introduction provides an overview of some common questions and misconceptions about DNA, while discussing its physical structure, how it works, and its impact on daily life. Also covered are chromosomes, genes, genomics, and what makes DNA so unique. DNA has generated quite a bit of interest due to major news stories of the last few decades. DNA is nature’s rock star. And, like many human celebrities, DNA can be mysterious, charming, enigmatic, complex, powerful, skilled, and at times unpredictable, but always awesome. This book pulls back the curtain to expose the machinery operating the molecule of life, showing that DNA, far from being ethereal and mystical, is actually logical, rational, usually parsimonious, and occasionally unpredictable. But still marvelously awesome!