human genome project
March 8, 2011 by Bundeep Nanda
After reading chapter 2, and doing some research myself, I found the Human Genome Project (HGP) very interesting. By tracing the genetic makeup of humans, scientists can obtain clues on certain diseases and the predisposition of others. HGP was a huge project begun in 1990 by researchers trying to map out the human genome. I would like to share some background information on the Human Genome Project with you. According to dictionary.com, the Human Genome Project is a scientific project to identify both the genes and the DNA that makes up the entire human genome. Scientists are working hard to obtain the entire sequence of human genes, displaying the human gene, the variation of different genes and human “model organisms”. Through these goals researchers are trying to study a full chart of DNA so that they can obtain information on rare diseases. According to genomics.energy.gov, the goals of the project, which was completed in 2003 were as follows; “identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.” All humans have DNA codes that the HGP is trying to decipher. Scientists are trying to examine, through HGP, what goes wrong in humans that causes disease. Diseases come in many shapes and forms and can appear anywhere in the body. Some humans seem to be predisposed to certain types of disease, such as cancer. The scientists hope to discover which gene or pattern of gene causes cancer. Each person is unique and so his or her disease may or may not be the same as others, but will depend on what type of human gene they have in their DNA. Deadly diseases can easily spread throughout the human body, sometimes without any symptoms. In addition, once the human genome code is broken, scientists may be able to unlock the secrets of diseases and prevent them. Once the biological structure of DNA is made known through the HGP, people may have a better quality of life and a longer life span free of disease. I believe that HGP is doing crucial work in mapping out the sequence of human genomes, and that the information they supply may help scientists and doctors fight diseases that kill humans.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/genetic/designer-children1.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/genetic/human-genome-project-results.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/genetic/human-genome-project-info.htm
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
