The Human Genome Project

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Amira Nicola                                                                        January, 2001

The Human Genome Project

          The Human Genome project is a scientific research effort to analyse the DNA of human beings and that of several other types of organism. The project began in the United States in 1990 under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. It was scheduled to be completed in 15 years. The project's goal is to identify the location of every human gene and to determine each gene's precise chemical structure in order to understand its function in health and disease.

In the nucleus of every cell in the human body, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes, each of which is composed of several genes. Genes are discrete stretches of nucleotides that carry the information the cell uses to make proteins.        

        The most important component of a chromosome is the single continuous molecule of DNA. This double-stranded molecule, which is shaped as a double helix, is composed of linked chemical compounds known as nucleotides. Each nucleotide consists of three parts: a sugar known as deoxyribose, a phosphate compound, and any one of four bases—adenine, thymine, guanine, or cytosine. These parts are linked together so that the sugar and the phosphate form the two parallel sides of the DNA ladder. This double-helical structure of the DNA molecule was discovered Watson and Crick in 1953, for which they received the Nobel  Prize for Chemistry.

          The bases from each side join in pairs to form the “rungs” of the ladder—specifically, adenine always pairs with thymine, and guanine always pairs with cytosine. The genetic code is specified by the order of adenines, thymines, guanines, and cytosines in the DNA ladder. A particular section of the DNA ladder usually has a unique sequence of base pairs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

          Because a gene is one of these sections of the DNA ladder it, too, possesses a unique sequence of base pairs. This sequence can be used to distinguish this gene from other genes and to map its location on the chromosome. The human genome is composed of about 3 billion base pairs and contains 50,000 to 100,000 genes. The Genome Project is about identifying and mapping each of these genes.

 

                                      Gene mapping using the computer.

       Genes from simpler organisms can be used to study human genes. This is because these simpler organisms also have DNA, however it is much simpler than that of humans

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and, therefore, their genes are much easier to map. Researchers have mapped the genome sequence of some  and fruit flies. Mapping the genes of these simpler organisms can contribute to understanding both how genes are structured and what the function of each gene is. The structure and function of each of these genes is easier to determine than those of human genes.

Mapping the genome of humans has been an immense task. Many scientists worldwide have been involved in the project over ten years at a very high financial cost. The outcome of this project has vast potential - ...

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This is a very well researches and detailed account of the human genome project. It includes very good descriptions of biochemical techniques This piece of work is 5 out of 5 stars.