Dive into the basics of DNA and its role in genetics. From structure to function, ExtremeTech explains it all. Discover the building blocks of life today.

Chimpanzees, along with bonobos, are humans' closest living relatives. In fact, you may have heard that humans and chimps share 98.8% of their DNA. But is this actually true? And what does "similar ...

How Does Neanderthal DNA Influence Our Brains? There has been some incredible research into the role this DNA plays in modern human neurodevelopment, so here's an overview of some of the findings.

Aging is accompanied by genetic changes — gene-expression shifts and pathways go haywire. Why this happens has been poorly understood. New findings provide an answer.

Though commonly repeated, there is no scenario in which "humans and bananas share 50% of their DNA" could be interpreted as a factual statement. Part of the problem is terminology.

Here, we'll give an overview of DNA and answer questions like these: What does DNA stand for? What is it made of, and what is its function in living things?