Module 7 Lesson 5 - 1

The Human Genome Project has identified the entire sequence of human DNA. How will this important knowledge be used?

Research companies have valuable patents on specific plant and animal DNA sequences developed in laboratories. This knowledge of DNA sequences has been used to transform DNA through genetic engineering. Think about how genetic engineering can lead to changes in the variation of the human population.

The DNA of a human is similar to the DNA of a pig or a stalk of corn. How did we get to be similar? What does this mean?

In this lesson, you will see how DNA can be used to trace evolutionary and genetic relationships among organisms and species. The goal for the Human Genome Project is to identify the nucleotide sequence of the human genome. You will learn about this project and how the knowledge gained from it can be applied to the study of evolution and forensics.

This lesson addresses three focusing questions:

• What roles do restriction enzymes and ligases have in changing the genome?


• What are the implications of genetic manipulation?


• How can we use base sequences to trace relationships between organisms within a family and between species?