What does DNA stand for?

DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. This term reflects the chemical structure of DNA, which consists of a sugar molecule called deoxyribose, phosphate groups, and nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine). The prefix "deoxy" indicates that the sugar is a modified form of ribose, specifically lacking one oxygen atom.

Understanding the full term is crucial in the field of microbiology because DNA is the molecule that carries genetic information in most living organisms, playing a vital role in processes such as replication, transcription, and translation. While the other options may sound similar, they do not accurately represent the structure or composition of DNA: 'Deoxyribose nucleic acid' omits the 'nucleic' part which signifies that it is specifically a nucleic acid, 'Dioxygen ribonucleic acid' incorrectly includes ribose, and 'Double-stranded nucleic acid' describes a characteristic of DNA but does not define what DNA stands for.