[jaebaeli]

I recently saw a quote of someone who asked why DNA, since it is an acid, doesn't dissolve our cells. After i stopped laughing, i wondered what would be the most succinct way of answering that without getting into a bunch of chemistry language....
any takers?

[Biopolmonkey]

It's not really a stupid question, the phosphate backbone does confer acidity to DNA.

I think the best response is that evolution (assuming you are not talking to a creationist) has ensured that the environment of the nucleus/cell can cope with the acidity of DNA (much like our stomachs can cope with HCl). Afterall, if DNA destroyed cells ... Those very earliest cells would not have been free to replicate and it [DNA] would have been lost.