Why must DNA be able to copy itself during replication?

• A. To provide an identical set of instructions for daughter cells.
• B. To produce energy more efficiently.
• C. To change genetic information randomly.
• D. To synthesize proteins directly without transcription.

Answer: (B)

DNA must copy itself during replication to pass on an identical set of genetic instructions to the daughter cells after division. By accurately duplicating the genome, every new cell starts with the same information needed to build and regulate the organism, preserving traits and cellular function across generations. This fidelity is what keeps the genetic material consistent as cells proliferate. The other ideas aren’t the purpose of replication: energy production is a metabolic task, not about copying DNA; deliberately changing genetic information would disrupt function, which replication protects against; and proteins are made through transcription and translation, not by directly copying DNA to make proteins.