DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genomic material in cells that contains the genetic information used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. DNA, along with RNA and proteins, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for life.
A doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) is a fully trained and licensed doctor who has attended and graduated from a U.S. osteopathic medical school. A doctor of medicine (M.D.) has attended and graduated from a conventional (allopathic) medical school. The major difference between osteopathic and allopathic doctors is that some osteopathic doctors provide manual medicine therapies, such as spinal manipulation or massage therapy, as part of their treatment. After medical school, both M.D.s and D.O.s must complete residency training in their chosen specialties.
A doctor of osteopathy typically practices manipulative medicine treatment in addition to more traditional methods of symptom relief and prevention. A doctor of osteopathy studies the body as a whole. A doctor of osteopathy is less likely to specialize than a medical doctor. Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), more correctly called a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, is very much like a traditional medical doctor (M.D.), but receives additional training in the body's musculoskeletal system.