DNA sequencing supplies detailed genetic code. Sometimes two insects look alike — even under a microscope — but the DNA results may prove otherwise. This female Orectoderus obliquus looks just like an ant to the untrained eye, but it isn't. Its DNA confirms it's a true bug.

This computerized picture represents a very small piece of the human genome or set of chromosomes with the genes they contain. Each color represents one of the four bases of DNA: adenine (green), cytosine (blue), thymine (red), and guanine (yellow), commonly abbreviated as A, C, T, and G.

Photos © American Museum of Natural History