How Atoms Build DNA, Proteins, and Life Itself

DNA is built from just four bases—adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine—made of specific atoms.
These bases pair up using hydrogen bonds, creating the rungs of the DNA ladder.
Proteins are chains of amino acids, each built from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur.
The sequence of atoms in DNA tells cells how to assemble proteins.
Carbon atoms form the backbone for both DNA and protein structures.
Hydrogen bonds help fold proteins into the 3D shapes that give them function.
Oxygen atoms play a key role in energy molecules like ATP that power life.
Even tiny changes in atomic arrangement can alter DNA or protein function.
Atoms create molecular machines inside cells that repair, copy, and express DNA.
From genes to enzymes, life is proof of how atoms combine into complexity.