![]() Suddenly the scientific world was faced with an uncomfortable truth: perhaps much of our understanding of what makes us human was actually wrong? Geneticists were astonished to find that humans have similar numbers of protein-making genes to some of the simplest creatures on the planet. Only around 20,000 distinct protein-coding genes were found to exist in the long lines of molecules known as base pairs that make up our DNA sequences. ![]() Instead, it transpired that less than 2% of the three billion letters of the human genome are dedicated to proteins. (We are, after all, the only species capable of sequencing our own genome.) The appearance of unique sets of proteins were thought to have been vital in the evolution of our species and our cognitive powers. With over 200 different types of cells in the human body, it seemed to make sense that each would need its own genes to carry out its necessary functions. It was hoped that the Human Genome Project, at a cost of around $3bn (£2.5bn), would yield treatments for chronic illnesses, and shed light on everything that is genetically determined about our lives.īut even as the press conferences were being held to herald the triumph of this new era of biological understanding, this instruction manual for human life had already thrown up an unexpected surprise.Īt the time, the prevailing belief was that the vast majority of the human genome would consist of instructions for making proteins, the building blocks of all living organisms that perform a bewildering range of roles within and between our cells. When the 13-year-long effort to sequence the entire "book of life" encoded within the human genome was declared "complete" in April 2003, there were high expectations. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |