Layan Kojan
BIOL 1010
Assignment #3 - Option 2 The Human Genome Project
Tuesday November 17, 2015
What makes one person differ from the other? Is it physical appearance, personality or mentality? These three factors separate each individual from one another and it is what makes them different. Physical appearance, personality and mentality are made up from the same building blocks which are known as DNA sequences. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), is a self replicating material that is found throughout every living organism. It’s a large macromolecule that transforms characteristics into life. DNA is made up two strands that run in opposite directions therefore they are known to be antiparallel. The lagging strand runs in the 5 '-3 ' direction while the leading strand run’s in the 3 '-5 ' direction (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2009). There’s a phosphate group attached by a covalent bond to the carbon atom which is covalently attached to a nucleotide base. The two DNA strands are attached to each other by hydrogen bonds. There are two hydrogen bonds found between Thymine and Cytosine and three hydrogen bonds found between Guanine and cytosine (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2009). Many studies have been done in order to gather information about the human DNA. The sequence of base paring in DNA was determined by The Human Genome project (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2009).
The whole idea of the
DNA is the genetic material that makes up the characteristics of all living organisms. While all human DNA is very similar in nature, there is just enough differences in
human genome. DNA is generally the same in all human beings with an exception to the “junk
Each human being has something called DNA. DNA is described as genetics and an extremely long macromolecule that is the main component of chromosomes and is the material that transfers genetic characteristics in all life forms. DNA constructs of two nucleotide strands coiled around each other in a ladder like arrangement with the sidepieces composed of alternating phosphate and deoxyribose units and the rungs composed of the purine and pyrimidine bases adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Each chromosome consist of one continuous thread-like molecule of DNA coiled tightly around proteins and contains a portion of the 6,400,000,000 basepairs that make up your DNA.
Technology can be amazing if used in the right way and not used to harm people. The genome project leaves endless results of what is achievable through technology. Could someday, someone build an entire human from xenotransplantation. Could someday, there be a drug where you will never die anymore. The life expectancy from the last one hundred has already risen fifty percent to seventy-five years due to medicine. Who says this can’t keep growing now that it’s almost possible to have a xenotransplantation where you could get a “brand new heart or lungs that were grown in a pig.” Also, the fact that we can now predict what disease a baby is going to or can have by ten weeks after they are conceived, makes me wonder are we ever going to have worry about getting a surprise new health condition in our life.
The HGP was a 13-year long project started in 1990 with the objective of determining the entire human euchromatic genome sequence. It was a public funded project and the goal was to complete the project within 15 years. Since its inception, the project had been met with scepticism from scientists and commoners alike. One significant doubt was whether the astounding expenditure of the project would outweigh the potential benefits from it. However, the incredible success of the HGP became apparent very soon after completion. Not only did it mark the beginning of a new era in medicine, it also made significant development in the various techniques that can be used for DNA sequencing. This publicly funded, $3 billion project began formally in 1990, under the co-ordinated effort of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Although destined to be completed in 15 years, rapid technological development accelerated the completion date to 2003.
The Human Genome Project introduces significant scientific findings to the world, but raises a lot of controversies. Many of these controversies concern the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project, once aimed towards mapping the human genome in hope for curing diseases, are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the results of such screening when they make hiring, retention, and job assignment decisions. These genetic vulnerabilities may include diseases, unsuitable personality traits and other traits the company deems undesirable. Employees shouldn’t be judged by their genes, because the results do not adequately speak for what the employees will do in life, the employee’s position in the society, and the employee’s financial standing. Genetic testing should be an option for the employees to decide on job assignment rather than influence the hiring decisions of employers. Genetic testing only shows genetic potential, not potential growth. Conducting genetic testings on employees infringes on their privacy and encourage more social gaps with genetic classes.
The Human Genome Project introduces a significant scientific finding to the world, but raises a lot of controversies. Many controversies related to the Human Genome Project are issues concerning the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project that once has an aim to map the human genome in hope for curing diseases are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the results of such screening when they make hiring, retention, and job assignment decisions. These genetic vulnerabilities may include diseases, unsuitable personality traits and other undesirable traits according to the company’s judgements. Employees shouldn’t be judged by their genes, because the results are inadequate to judge what the employees will do in life, the employee’s position in the society, and the employee’s financial standing. Genetic testing should be an option for the employees to decide on job assignment rather than hiring decisions. Genetic testing only shows potential. Conducting genetic tests on employees is infringing their privacy and will also create more social gaps with genetic classes.
Today’s society has an ever growing thirst for knowledge as we have for many hundreds of years now. Scientists work around the clock studying the affects of nearly everything they can think of to conduct experiments on. This quest for knowledge is the supposed start to a better life for man kind and ultimately a world without disease or hunger. The human genome project is one that has been going on for about 20 years. This project set out to map, down to the last detail, every part of the human DNA structure (“Human”). The project has recently been completed and the scientists are now starting another project with their newly found information, to cure mankind of its ailments.
In 1980 a projected called The Genome Project was proposed. Although, it didn’t officially start until 1990. The main idea of this project was to determine the DNA sequences of the human genome. Which could ultimately being around 3 billion nucleotide pairs. Another project is called The Human Genome Diversity Project, which is very similar to the Human Genome Project. Both of these projects discussed humans through DNA
The Human Genome Project is a very well-known scientific research project made to determine the sequencing of chemical base pairs which make up human DNA. The Human Genome Project is also made to identify and map all of the human genes from both physical and functional parts. But how does this really affect us?
in chapter 23, Bobbette learns from her brother-in-law that part of Henrietta is still alive. Her cells are being used in laboratories all around the world and Bobbette had no clue. She raced home telling Lawrence and Day her news. It didn't make sense how was part of Henrietta still alive after all this time. They had seen her being buried, did someone did up the body? Or maybe it was from the autopsy? In June 1973 at Yale the first steps toward the Human Genome Project was held. One of the main problems was the HeLa contamination but in order to sort everything out they needed to test for the specific markers which they needed Lacks family cooperation. Victor McKusick, one of the scientist to first publish Henrietta's name, worked at John Hopkins so he could get the information to contact the family. With access to the family cells it would allow HeLa to be studied in a new way. With accents and education as barriers when a Hopkins assistant called Day said yes because why refuse a doctor. Years later Howard Jones admitted that not enough effort to tell the Lacks family and because they were only taking blood samples no consent forms were needed. The family assumed that since it was a doctor that the tests were needed. Deborah was especially worried since her thirtieth birthday neared the same age her mother died at. She worried often about getting cancer or being injected with cancer like Southam had done to people. She had read about the Tuskgee trials and was very
What is DNA? Is it these winding strands that look like ladders or is it what gives a person blonde hair and blue eyes? Actually, DNA is both of these things. DNA is a person’s genetic makeup–their hereditary blueprint passed on by their parents. It is a part of almost every cell in the human body. In each cell, a person’s DNA is the same; it stays the same throughout their lifetime. DNA is found in skin tissue, sweat, bone, the root and shaft of hair, earwax, mucus, urine, semen, and vaginal or rectal cells. The DNA found in a person’s saliva is the same as the DNA found in their blood. Parts of the DNA determine our physical characteristics, such as eye and hair color, height, and bone structure, but the
The human genome project is something that I have been very interested with ever since first learning of it. I had heard bits and pieces of what it is about, but my interest was greatly stimulated by Dr. Whited in basic genetics 311 last spring. The discussion that we had regarding the project left me with several ideas and questions about not only the process and ethics involved, but the future of the study of genetics as a whole.
The Human Genome Project basically was a research program that worked on a goal to get an image of human genome and get a better understanding of all a human beings genes. DNA is founded on 4 chemical bases, they turn into twisted ladder shaped DNA molecules. And all the the four bases are what create the genes just placed in different ways and different lengths. One revelation of the human genome project was when they learned that there are about 20,500 genes. The Human Genome Project brought many scientist together around the world and each one was an important factor for the project. It was a publicly funded organization and got funds and support from the Department of Energy and US National Institutes of Health
Due to the DNA’s specificity, samples can be utilised for identification. DNA is a nucleic acid composed of deoxyribose sugar bound to a phosphate group and one of four nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine). Each section of these three components are referred to as nucleotides, which are joined to the phosphate or sugar of another nucleotide by strong covalent bonds to form a backbone. The nitrogenous bases are joined to complimentary bases of another nucleotide (adenine with thymine, guanine with cytosine) to create a double stranded molecule (Figure 2). To complete the double helical structure, the molecule coils to compact it’s contents. DNA molecules can contain up to two million base pairs, with a human genome containing approximately 3 million base pairs. The random assortment of nitrogenous bases as well as the numerous mutations within certain DNA sequences, results in genetically diverese DNA molecules and genomes between individials.