Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

In eukaryotes, DNA is the fundamental genetic material that carries the hereditary information passed from one generation to the next. It contains the instructions needed for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all living organisms. Each organism's DNA is composed of sequences of nucleotides which encode the information to synthesize proteins that perform various functions within the cell.

While RNA and mRNA play critical roles in the expression of genes (with mRNA serving as a template for protein synthesis), these molecules are not inherited in the same way as DNA. RNA is synthesized from DNA but does not serve as the permanent genetic blueprint; it is transitory and subject to degradation. Similarly, proteins are the end products of gene expression and do not contain the genetic instructions to be passed on; they are synthesized based on the information encoded in DNA.

Therefore, the correct choice reflects the continuity of genetic information across generations, establishing DNA as the repository of hereditary information in eukaryotic cells.