Genes are made of what substance?

Genes are made of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which is the hereditary material in nearly all living organisms. DNA serves as the blueprint for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known life forms. Each gene contains specific sequences of nucleotides that encode instructions for making proteins, which play crucial roles in the body’s structure and function.

In contrast, while RNA (ribonucleic acid) is involved in translating those genetic instructions into proteins, it is not the substance that makes up genes themselves. Proteins are the end products synthesized based on the genetic information carried by DNA, and carbohydrates serve primarily as energy sources or structural materials in cells, but neither are building blocks of genes.