Module 7 Lesson 5 - 5
Lesson 5 — Genetic Code
Human Genome Project
Scientists around the world have worked together on the Human Genome Project. This was a true collaboration involving contributions from the US, the UK, Japan, France, Germany, China, Canada, and other countries.
The goal of the project was to identify the 3-billion nucleotide base pairs that make up the human genome. The project took 13 years (less than the estimated 15 years, due to technology advances) and ended in 2003. The result is a source book
for medical science to help understand and treat eventually more than 4000 genetic diseases.
The image shows the human chromosome 1 and the genes for which the 246 million base pairs code. And this is just one chromosome! How else could this be useful knowledge?
Some of the potential and current beneficial applications of this project include
- molecular medicine
- energy sources and environmental applications
- risk assessment
- bioarchaeology, anthropology, evolution, and human migration
- DNA forensics (identification)
- agriculture, livestock breeding, and bioprocessing
This lesson concentrates on the evolutionary and DNA forensics applications of the findings of the Human Genome Project. If you would like further information on other beneficial applications mentioned above, go to the website for the
Human Genome Project
Watch and Listen
Watch the following video about the Human Genome Project to learn more about the goals, benefits, and issues around DNA fingerprinting, which will be discussed in the next read section.
