What does DNA do in my body?

Genes are made up of DNA. Genes give your body instructions—much like a blueprint or a recipe—for everything it needs to do to grow, develop, and live. One example is that genes give your body instructions for making proteins.

What do proteins do?

Proteins are the building blocks that do things, or perform functions, in the body. Different genes contain instructions to make different proteins, the same way that different recipes tell you how to make different dishes.

Any change in the DNA may change the protein’s shape. A protein’s shape is related to its function (what it does in the body). Thus, changes in your DNA can stop proteins from doing their job. This can cause conditions or diseases that affect your health.