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 > Fifty Years of Genetic Revolution > Unknown Realms > What Is the Genetic Code?
dijous, 24 d'abril de 2003
On April 14, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium announced that it had successfully completed decoding 99.9% of the human genome, and what's more, two years ahead of schedule. This signals the conclusion of one of the most revolutionary scientific investigations in recent decades.
Scientists from sixteen laboratories and six countries participated in the project: the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany, China and Japan. The British Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which published the news on its website, carried out nearly one-third of the work. Scientists know that the human genome consists of close to 30,000 genes, or in other terms, one third more than those of less complex organisms such as the intestinal roundworm. The completion of the investigation into the so-called 'book of life' could hold important implications for the future, especially with respect to treatments and cures for diseases that are hereditary or currently incurable, such as diabetes or leukemia. However, scientists caution that patience will be needed. Already the data on the human genome has spurred more than 600,000 requests from researchers all around the world. Scientists from more than 120 countries are making use of the findings. The public human genome research project announced some surprising results in June 2000. Scientists stated that all human beings share 99.9% of their genetic code and that they have double the amount of genes as a fruit fly or a roundworm. Not only did the evidence effectively derail any kind of racist theory, but it also sparked great hope for the prevention and cure of many diseases.
 
Fifty Years of Genetic Revolution
+ James D. Watson and Francis Crick discovered the chemical structure of DNA.
The completion of the human genome sequencing nearly coincided with the 50th anniversary of one of the most significant breakthroughs in genetic research: the discovery of the chemical structure of DNA by the scientists James D. Watson and Francis Crick. The breakthrough allowed for many advancements in fields ranging from medicine to biology and the origins of the human species. Thus, the date February 28, 1953 represents the beginning of half a century of genetic revolution. To mark the anniversary, the Diari Escola published a news bulletin detailing the primary achievements of these fifty years. This same edition also explored the pros and cons of genetically modified foods and included a brief biographical sketch of Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics. You can access this bulletin by clicking here.
Unknown Realms
+ Scientists have mapped 99.9% of the genetic code.
'It's not completely complete'. At first glance, this statement about the sequencing of the human genome can seem paradoxical, but it does have its logic. While the fact is that scientists have mapped 99.9% of the genetic code, there is a part that has not been identified. The reason is simple. If one hundred percent had been deciphered, that would mean that all humans would be exactly alike, at least genetically speaking. And it's more than obvious that is just not true. Part of that one percent - some 400 unknown regions - that remains to be identified is precisely what accounts for the difference between one person and another. Everything considered, we must point out that a small proportion of these unknown regions have not been able to be determined because the technology to do so has yet to be developed. We also would like to say, in passing, that cloning consists precisely in reproducing an organism genetically identical to another, a practice that has generated a huge ethical debate regarding its application to human beings.
What Is the Genetic Code?)
+ Chromosomes consist of a double helix molecule, called DNA.
The impact the genetic code discovery will have upon a not-too-distant future has been a topic of discussion for some time now. But, just what exactly is genetic code? In broad terms, we can say that it is the set of instructions that directs the life of each person. All this material is grouped onto 23 pairs of rods called chromosomes. In turn, chromosomes consist of a double helix molecule, DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid), which is made up of four parts: a) adenine, b) thymine, c) cytosine and g) guanine. Lastly, DNA is made up of genes. Just one simple error in any one letter of a single gene could be enough to produce a certain hereditary disease. In fact, such diseases are caused by errors in the sequence of these letters. It is believed that such errors could be reduced through the deciphering of the genetic code and here lies the importance of the discovery.
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Investiga
> De ben segur que n'has sentit a parlar, però, saps que és exactament l'enginyeria genètica? Esbrina-ho clicant aquí.
> Els científics James D. Watson i Francis Crick van fer públic el descobriment de l'estructura química de l'ADN en un article publicat en una prestigiosa revista. Quina? La resposta, en aquest lloc web.
> Els cromosomes d'homes i dones, són tots ben bé iguals? Cerca'n la resposta en aquest espai.
> Saps que és una mutació? Esbrina-ho en la pàgina que Bionet dedica als diferents tipus de proves genètiques.
I també...
- Vols aprofundir en el significat dels conceptes 'herència', 'gen', 'cromosoma' i 'ADN'? En tens prou de clicar aquí i accedir als diferents gràfics explicatius.
- Saps què diferencia les clonacions terapèutica i reproductiva? Esbrina-ho clicant aquesta pàgina.
- Els científics sostenen que el desxiframent del genoma humà pot comportar molts avantatges, però també certs inconvenients, tal com s'afirma en aquest article.
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