abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid; a complexcompound found in the nucleus of all living cells which plays a vital part in heredity. It is the chief material in chromosomes, the cell bodies that control the heredity of an animal or a plant. The DNA in the chromosomes furnishes the cells with a complete set of "instructions" for their own development and the development of their descendants for generations. —Clear Body, ClearMind: The Effective Purification Program