The Code Of Life And The Human Genome

The author explains the basics of DNA by describing the simple part of it, “proteins are the molecules that do all of the work in every organism, from carrying oxygen, to building tissue, to copying DNA for the next generation” (Carroll 73). He also explained the four bases that are building blocks that are held together by strong bonds and are represented by the letters A, C, G and T. Scientist also learned that A and T always pair with each other as well as G and C, this helps them because if they know one strand of DNA they already know the second because of how the bases match up. The author states that scientists have found about 500 genes that exist in all forms of life, the author explains that these genes are “immortal”. These genes have endured millions of years of evolution and have not been mutated because they are essential for every organism to have; these genes can have important jobs such as decoding of the DNA and RNA and making

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.

Furthermore, DNA is found in large quantities within the eukaryotic cell. Human cells alone have around 1000 times more DNA than typical bacteria [Alberts, c1989, p.23]. DNA, both on its own and with other molecules, plays a huge role in the making of an organism, from the importance of its chiral helical structure and its main functions, to the vast vicinity of error and inaccuracy that a small change to the genomic sequence can cause. It is the foundation upon which an organism is built and the main contributor to an organisms genotype and phenotype. But what are the constituents of DNA and can it

Imagine DNA as a ladder made of rungs — 3 billion in all — spiraling upward in a double helix. Each step is a base pair, designated by two letters from the nucleotide alphabet of G, T, A, and C. More than 99 percent of these base pairs are identical in all humans, with only about one in a thousand SNPs diverging to make us distinct. For instance, you might have a CG that makes you susceptible to diabetes, and I might have a CC, which makes it far less likely I will get this disease.

within it. This packing is now known to be based on minute particles of protein

The DNA Mystique looks into the power of the gene in today’s society. Dorothy Nelkin and Susan Lindee (1995) describe the evolution of the gene as a cultural icon. Society puts a huge emphasis on understanding everyday behavior and the “secret of life” through genetic essentialism. According to Nelkin and Lindee genetic essentialism “reduces the self to a molecular entity, equating human beings, in all their social, historical, and moral complexity, with their genes” (p. 337). DNA is used as a way to define the individual’s true self and understand the evolution of a person’s identity. Nelkin and Lindee discuss the intersection of science and popular culture to shape the cultural meaning of the gene (p. 338). They lay out a timeline of genetic mapping and the use of genome research to determine future outcomes.

Each gene has a different line up of letters. These letters are read in three letter intervals called codons. These codons have the specific instructions to create a certain protein based on the order of the three letters. Each gene has seven codons, which make seven proteins that are held together by peptide bonds. A peptide bond is a chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group from one molecule reacts to the amino group of the other molecule. This releases a molecule of water. The seven proteins that are connected by the peptide bonds, create a chain called a polypeptide chain. A polypeptide chain is a chain of amino acids, which are connected by a peptide bond. We are made from a double-helix shaped molecules called Deoxyribonucleic Acid, which is commonly called DNA. DNA, when stretched out, is six feet long. It is wrapped around itself many times to make a chromosome. Forty-six chromosomes fit into the nucleus of a cell. This six feet of DNA is equivalent to around twenty-three thousand genes. These twenty-three thousand genes work together to create all living things. DNA is the building blocks of all life on Earth. We are

With humans having 23 pairs of chromosomes, each chromosome includes a single DNA molecule located in the inner nucleus of the cell. The DNA molecule constructs a double helix where two strands of DNA coil each other. This is consisted of smaller chemical molecules known as nucleotide bases: adenine (A), cytosine (C) guanine (G) and thymine (T), and the arrangement of these bases is the DNA sequence. The four-nucleotide bases are similar to instructions for the body on how to construct the proteins that are needed to allow t

and that is dealing with the DNA sequence. They say the human genome is a set of instructions

DNA is a long curved structure, made up of pairs of four specific bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, is the repository of a code from which all of our cells are made. The code is made up of base pairs which look like the

The sequence of the chemical bases in DNA both specifies the order of amino acids in proteins and determines which proteins are synthesized in which cells. In this way, DNA is the ultimate source of both change and continuity in evolution. The modification of DNA through occasional changes or rearrangements in the base sequences underlies the emergence of new traits, and thus of new species, in evolution. At the same time, all organisms use the same molecular codes to translate DNA base sequences into protein amino acid sequences. This uniformity in the genetic code is powerful evidence for the interrelatedness of living things, suggesting that all organisms presently alive share a common ancestor that can be traced back to the origins of life on

All living organisms, from amoebas to humans, have a molecular code called DNA in their cells, which instruct the activities that keep the organism alive. DNA is made up of long, twisted strands of four molecular “letters” (A, T, G, and C), which pair up according to their complementary base pairs, and their order determines how proteins — the vital molecules that perform all the major tasks in our cells — are made. (Refer to Diagram 1 to help sum up the concept.)

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.

During the project the scientist goals were to get a finish a whole set of the 3 billion DNA base pairs that make the human genome. They also wanted to be able to find 20,000 to 25,000 human genes. As well as finding the genomes of different organisms that are vital to medical research like a mouse or a fruit fly. Not only did they want to make discoveries in their research but they also wanted to make new tools they could use to get and analyze new data to spread the availability of their information. Some goals were completed and others were not but some of the things they did accomplish were getting a high quality finished sequence of almost the entire human genome. As well as the genome of other organisms including a roundworm and a fruit fly. On their last year they announced that they had completed the genome mouse. The research the scientists made were made viable to view on the internet by the

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.