The term for a sequence of DNA that codes for a specific protein is a gene. Genes serve as the fundamental unit of heredity and carry the instructions necessary for synthesizing proteins, which perform various functions in living organisms. They consist of a specific sequence of nucleotides that determines the amino acid sequence of the corresponding protein. Understanding genes and their regulation is critical in fields like genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, as they play a crucial role in development, health, and disease.