Imagine a machine shop that has blueprints of components of the machines they use in the shop, and processes to assemble machines from the components. When a machine shop grows large and splits in two, each inherits a half of shop with the ongoing processes and a copy of the blueprints. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B7PMf7bBczQ&pp=QAFIAQ%3D%3D

DNA is the blueprints. There are infinite possibilities what to do with them. The advanced civilization would need additional information, like that they are supposed create a cell from the components to begin with, and a lot of detailed information how exactly to do that.

Edit: improved clarity