Nucleic acids contain the genetic code that determines many of an organism's characteristics, and is passed from parents to offspring.
nuːklˈɪɪk ˈæsɪdz kəntˈeɪn ðə dʒɪnˈɛɾɪk kˈoʊd ðæt dɪtˈɜːmɪnz mˈɛnɪəv ɐn ˈɔːɹɡənˌɪzəmz kˌæɹɪktɚɹˈɪstɪks, ænd ɪz pˈæst fɹʌm pˈɛɹənts tʊ ˈɔfspɹɪŋ.