11.13 - The Human Genome

The human genome and the Human Genome Project

• The genome of an organism is its entire genetic material - all of the DNA found in that organism.
• The whole human genome has now been worked out.

The Human Genome Project

• A major international effort in which thousands of scientists from all over the world worked together to find and map every single human gene and record where it sits.
• It officially began in 1990 and a complete map was finished in 2003.
• The map gives the locations of around 20,000 to 25,000 genes.
• Now that all the genes have been found, scientists are working out what each one actually does - so far around 1,800 genes linked to disease have been identified.

Why understanding the genome is useful

• Working out and understanding the human genome is a powerful tool for science and medicine.
• The human genome is almost identical from one person to the next. The small differences between individuals, and the link between particular genes and particular characteristics or conditions, are what make this knowledge so useful.
• Knowing the full sequence lets scientists:
  • Compare the genomes of many people
  • Connect specific genes to specific diseases
  • Study and treat inherited disorders
  • Learn more about human biology and history
• This opens up the medical applications that genome research is now being used for.