Base Pair (Genetics)

In genetics, a base pair refers to two nitrogenous bases that connect across the double helix structure of DNA. DNA is made up of four types of bases—adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G)—which pair specifically: A with T, and C with G. These base pairs form the genetic code that instructs cells on how to function and reproduce. The sequence of these pairs determines traits and is fundamental to heredity, as they carry the information that gets passed from one generation to the next.