The chemical that forms the basis of the genetic material in virtually all living organisms. Structurally, DNA is composed of two strands that intertwine to form a spring-like structure called the double helix. Each strand is formed by a backbone of deoxyribose sugar molecules linked by phosphate residues. Attached to each backbone are chemical structures called bases, which protrude away from the backbone towards the center of the helix, and which come in four types - Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine (designated A, C, G and T). In DNA a C can only hydrogen-bond with a G, and an A only with a T, these interactions, formed by so called hydrogen bonds, hold the two strands together. Each strand of DNA has a series of Gs, As, Ts and Cs attached to its backbone. It is the sequence of these bases that forms the code which is translated by cellular machinery to create a new protein. The other (complementary or antisense) strand always has a sequence that matches the first strand, with each C complemented by a G, and each A by a T, and vice versa.