Each body cell has, in nucleus, 46 separate dna chains; can be

 Question: What are genes and how do they work?

Requirements: 12 pt.; font; Times New Roman, double spaced, at least 2 pages, but no more than 3.

He wants me to include things like:
What exactly is DNA—long chain molecule forming a double helix. Attached to it, sequence of ACTG bases as code for assembling proteins. Sequence “read” by RNA, which exits nucleus to ribosomes in the rest of the cell body; assembles amino acids to make a protein.

Each body cell has, in nucleus, 46 separate DNA chains; can be grouped into 23 pairs – one inherited from mother, other from father.
Meiosis to form sperm and ova; divide the 23 pairs of chromosomes into just 23 chromosomes; each gamete gets one, chosen randomly; result single offspring all have different selections of parental genes.

Recessive vs dominant gene expression.
How does the environment impact gene expression?

Epigenetics? e.g., during early mitosis some cells develop into neurons, others into bone, but all these cells carry the entire genome – outcome changes without changing the genes.

Separate DNA in mitochondria.