Firstly, the most important aspect of the word "do" is that it performs an important grammatic function in the English language.
These are special uses in which "do" basically does not contribute any meaning, but only serves a grammatical role.
For instance, when questions are formed in the English language, a process known as "subject-aux inversion" occurs. That is to say, the syntax of a declarative sentence is usually along a pattern such as "subject aux verb object". When we ask a question, the subject and auxiliary verb reverse position: "aux subject verb object?".
Here is an example. Starting with the declarative sentence "You have been to Hawaii", we identify the subject "you", auxiliary "have", and the verb "been". In forming the question, the subject and aux switch places: "Have you been to Hawaii?"
Now here is another example of a declarative: "You know the time". Here the subject is "you", the verb is "know" and the object is "time". But wait, where is the auxiliary? There isn't one: the auxiliary is null: "You /null/ know the time". When "You /null/ know the time" becomes a question, subject-aux inversion takes place like this: "/null/ you know the time?". We cannot have a null element at the beginning of a sentence, so a (theoretical) process known as "do affixing" takes place: the null auxiliary spot is replaced by the filler word "do": "Do you know the time?". The invisible auxiliary becomes visible as do!
In the sentence "You do know it is dangerous, right?", do is used for emphasis. It basically also looks like a case of the empty auxiliary position becoming visible: "You know it is dangerous" becomes "You do know it is dangerous?" If a sentence has no auxiliary verb, you can put the word "do" where the auxiliary would go, without changing the basic meaning, but changing the sense: adding emphasis in statements, or seeking confirmation in questions.
Interestingly, if "do" is used emphasizing that a confirmation is needed in response to a question, then the subject-aux inversion is prevented from taking place. A regular question might be, "Do you understand it?" But a confirmation-seeking question is "You do understand it? Right?" The empty auxiliary changes to "do" for emphasis, but stays where it is, because if it moved to the front, then the result would be an ordinary question.
So, the point is: There is a special use of do as an auxiliary verb, a role which the verb "make" does not have. "Make" is never an auxiliary verb.
Secondly, "do" functions as a kind of "verbal pronoun", similarly to the word "it". Just like we can use the word "it" to refer to some previously discussed noun phrase, we can use the word "do" to refer to a previous verb phrase, particularly in conjunction with "do it" or "do that".
Here, "do that" stands in place of "water your plants". The word "make" cannot be used in this way; it is another special role of "do".
"Do" is also an verb, independently of its special grammatic roles. It means to carry out some action: any kind of action. It is also an euphimism for sexual intercourse. ("I heard John and Mary are doing it!")
"Make" means to construct or produce something ("make a chair out of wood"); to create or cause a situation to be ("make trouble") ("make a sound"); to succeed or attain something ("we had hard times, but we made it through") ("I made it for the last train out of the city"), to earn money ("how much do you make per year?"); to show up to a prearranged meeting ("I'm glad you were able to make it"), to force someone or something ("please don't make me do that") ("It was the wrong part for the car, but I modified it to make it fit"); to configure a situation or put something into effect ("The new law makes it a violation to smoke in restaurants"); a euphimism for avoiding death ("The passenger walked away from the crash with minor injuries, but the driver didn't make it"); to pass some selection process ("Derek made the football team this year.") ("You've really made the grade"). In none of theses uses can "make" be replaced by "do". A mix-up here can be disastrous: consider "Derek did the football team", whose only interpretation is the sexual one.
Then there are various uses of both "make" and "do" with prepositions or other words which have specific meanings. The words "do" and "make" are not interchangeable, and have completely different meanings when used in cominations with the same words.
make up (invent a story or lie): "That story about how you fell out of an airplane and surived, you clearly made that up!"
do up (fasten): "Your bootlace is loose; do it up!" (Completely different from "make up").
make out (distinguish an unclear image or sound): "There is too much noise, so I cannot make out what he is saying".
make of (to form conclusions or opinions about something based on observation): "What do you make of the company's new strategy?
make believe (pretend): "The children climbed into the carboard box, and made believe they were in a ship." (Do believe is simply emphasis of "believe": "I do believe you're right").
Make and do can be combined to form "make do", which means to function in some inconvenient way due to not having all of the desired or ideal resources available. "When Jack retired, he had to figure out how to make do on a tiny pension. Eventually he found work to boost his income."
