1. Mendel's experiments with pea plants in 1865 established the basic principles of genetics, including that traits are passed from parents to offspring through discrete units (now known as genes).
2. DNA was identified as the genetic material through experiments in the mid-20th century. DNA is made up of nucleotides with a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases that bond together in base pairs.
3. Genes provide instructions for making proteins through DNA transcription and translation of mRNA into amino acid chains, allowing cells to carry out their functions. The genetic code is universal across all life on Earth.