Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information that you inherited from your parents. If you have children, your genetic information will be recombined and united with your partner’s genetic information to yield genetic information that will be stored in the nucleus of every cell in your child’s body. Your own genetic information is duplicated every time one of your cells divides to form two cells. Furthermore, nucleic acids contain specific segments called genes that are responsible for producing every protein in your body. Expression of your genes controls the biological characteristics and function of your entire body.