Ethics, Business, and the Human Genome Project :: Genetics DNA Genes Science Essays

Ethics, Business, and the Human Genome arouseThe Human Genome Project began in 1990, as part of a collaborative movement by the scientific community to better understand our own genetic makeup. The U.S subdivision of Energy and the National Institutes of Health coordinate this original 15-year plan, which are separate of the National Human Genome Research Institute. The major goals cited by these institutes is as follows determine all the estimated 100,000 genes in the kind-hearted genome. Map the 3 billion chemical bases that make up homo desoxyribonucleic acid. Store this mapped information in databases worldwide. disclose even better tools for sequencing and analysis. Address the many ethical, legal and social issues that get along with with this project. The debate over the richness of a Human Genome Project preserve be cleared up by looking at what the human genome actually is, and why knowing its DNA sequence can be beneficial to the scientific and the human communit y. The human genome is made up of nigh three billion base pairs, which contain about 100,000 genes. The 100,000 genes in the 46 human chromosomes only account for a small total of the DNA in our genome. Approximately 10 percent of our DNA make up these genes in our genome, these genes are what is actually encoded for and used by our body to make vital proteins needed for everyday life. The remaining 90 percent of our three billion base pairs are repeated sequences between genes that do non encode for any particular product. These repeated sequences account for the reason why 99 percent of any humans DNA is identical to other humans (1). With this knowledge many people believe it is not worth the quantify or money to sequence the entire human genome when only a small percent is used to encode for proteins. However, by sequencing the whole genome researchers volition no longer attain to do a needle in the haystack type of search for small genes, like the one arrange on chromoso me four that is responsible for Huntingtons disease (4). Also, knowing the complete human DNA sequence will allow scientists to determine the role and importance of the repeated DNA, non-protein encoding, sequences in our body.The Human Genome Project has brought to light the importance of mavin nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which occur every 100 to 300 bases (1). A whiz nucleotide variation in the DNA sequence can have a major impact on how humans react to bacteria, viruses and medicate therapy.