General ---------Biology----------------------------------------------------- ------------------Online--------------------------------------- Ch. 5 Macromolecules: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, nucleic acids

DNA contains four monomers, called nucleotides:  the sugar and the phosphate are the same in each monomer; the part that varies is the nitrogenous base.

Inheritance.  You pass on your traits to your children by passing on DNA nucleotide sequences that tell your children's cells how to build the proteins they need.  Many of our genes, and therefore our proteins are identical.  However, the diversity we see in the human population reflects the underlying diversity of a small percentage of our proteins.  Many of the genes we use are the same as those used by insects, fungi, plants and bacteria.  We are all very closely related.  In fact, many of the genes (and  thus proteins) in each of us are identical in all life forms from bacteria to giant redwood trees.