Our significance, uniqueness of consciousnesses

The universe is a humongous sea of molecules. All bashing around and against each other. Why do we consider ourselves so individual and so unique? Are we any more significant than a random fly one of us swats or some bacteria we destroy when wiping a table? Just about all life on earth (with the exception of a strain of bacteria NASA found that had evolved differently) has the EXACT same DNA. The same building blocks and ingredients. We're all made of the same thing. Our 'consciousnesses' stem from all this. Sure, our personalities and thoughts will be shaped by genetics, circumstances, body chemicals/ hormones, environmental factors. With that, ultimately we're all the exact same when it comes down to our very consciousness. Just like a million ants all think the same thoughts and do the same things, humans all have the same basic consciousnesses. Those other factors give variety and individuality. But the very essence that makes us intelligent and self aware is our consciousness and our ability to think deeply, to question things. And that is not the chemicals in our body or our environmental/ circumstantial factors (which every other living thing has). This seems to be logical and also makes you think more about death, is it actually the end of an individual or just the end of the physical body and brain with all the substance - while the consciousness of that 'individual' happened to end every other 'individual' on earth possibly has the very same consciousness.