DNA is the master molecule of life that contains in coded form all of our genetic characteristics. In fact, the remarkable diversity of life is based on the "infinite" arrangements of DNA molecules. Mutations (stable hereditary changes in DNA) may lead to the evolution of new species. Although DNA sequences (genes) may remain stable for many generations, they may be turned on or off by regulator proteins. In the following simplified illustration of a small section of DNA with 68 base pairs (rungs), the molecule has 4^68 possible arrangements or 87 duodecillion (87 followed by 39 zeros)! [The previous statement assumes an unlimited number of A's, T's, C's and G's.] In epigenetic traits, like the castes of ants, the DNA is methylated but the original base sequence is not altered.

Some species of Pheidole have a supermajor (supersoldier) that is larger than regular majors. It has a strikingly massive head compared with its body. These species have 3 castes: minors, majors and supermajors. Most of the 1000+ species of Pheidole have only 2 castes, but apparently have the genetic potential (ancestral DNA) to produce supersoldiers. Biology professor Ehab Abouheif at McGill University in Montreal discovered that dabbing larvae with methoprene, a chemical that mimics juvenile hormone, will induce the development of supersoldiers. These large biting ants are presumably better able to defend the colony against invasions of aggressive army ants.

Telomeres are repetitive strands of DNA (sequences of repetitive bases) at the terminal ends of linear chromosomes. They play an essential role in maintaining the integrity of the chromosome by protecting it from degradation and from end-to-end fusion with other chromosomes. Telomeres are essentially protective "end caps" of non-coding DNA at the extreme ends of chromosomes. Telomeres have been metaphorically compared with the tips of shoelaces that keep the laces from unraveling. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres lose a small amount of DNA. Eventually, when all of the telomere DNA is gone, the cell can no longer divide and dies. End replication problem is not an issue in prokaryotic cells because they have circular DNA molecules without ends.

Another interesting area of ant research concerns the biology of aging: "The link between caste-specific differential methylation and maintenance of telomeres (chromosome ends) is intriguing because of its potential links to the biology of aging." Queens and worker ants are diploid with 2 sets of chromosomes and males are haploid with only one set. Queens may live more than 20 years while workers may only live a few months, even though they have the same DNA. How is this possible? Does it involve telomeres?

In the Indian jumping ant (Harpegnathos saltator), special egg-laying workers capable of mating (called gamergates) can replace an aging queen. A study of the genome and expressed genes of gamergates found that the production of enzymes that slow aging (telomerase and sirtuin deacetylases) are increased when workers turn into queens, thus increasing their longevity like queens.