The Human Genome Project

 

The human genome is the information on the make up of man which happens to be stored on 23 pairs of chromosomes in the human DNA. It is estimated that there are between 20,000 – 25,000 genes and about three billion pairs of DNA base pairs. In 2003 a project initiated by the US Department along with the National Institute of Health partnered with the Wellcome Trust (UK) and other nations such as Japan and France.

There were certain specific goals for this project which were as follows:

.        To find all the possible thousands of genes in the human DNA

2.     To find the sequence of the three billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA

3.     Provide a data base and store this information

4.     Improve tools for data analysis

5.     Transfer related technologies to the private sector

6.     Address the legal, ethical and social issues that may arise from the project.

This information could be used to track diseases and perhaps find cures.  Although the project (HGP) is complete the analysis is expected to continue for an indefinite period of time. The most important feature of this project not withstanding analysis is still ongoing, is the transfer of the technology to the private sector by the federal government, licensing the technologies and encouraging innovative research by the private sector.  This aided the biotechnology industry and facilitated the production of new products used widely in biomedical sciences. Technology continues to expand and knowledge increase which brings hope of ground breaking discoveries in the future.

 

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From DNA Discovery to Genomics

Over half a century ago, the genetic material in all living organisms, more commonly known as DNA, was discovered and first came into the spotlight. Both James Watson and Francis Crick were widely applauded for the cutting-edge discovery of the DNA double helix at the time. Even now these gentleman are heralded for there work which opened the doors for new fields of science and medicine. At the time, this was the latest and greatest in genetics. No one at the time could predict what huge advancements would continue to be made. Could anyone guess that the discovery of DNA would lead to such break-through science as cloning? A half a century ago, it would have been inconceivable that duplicating a mammal could be possible. When Dolly, the clone sheep was created from a single cell, it was clear evidence of just how far science can go.

Now with the birth of genomics and bio technology, the world of science and medicine continues to move forward at an ever-increasing pace. Individuals and the global community can expect to see continuous break-throughs in scientific research in the human genome.

Currently scientists and experts from a wide range of fields are jumping on the band wagon of new genetic knowledge and findings. For example medical researchers are continuing to pursue the study of the body’s immune system and how it fights diseases. As gene function and their relationships to other genes are better understood, many treatments and potentially cures can be developed to improve individual’s health.

Scientists are also using the ever-increasing knowledge and understanding of genes to better improve crop production. Scientists are making strides forward in research that will assist farmers how to produce a healthier, heartier, more productive crop. Research is also being conducted to find better ways to help forests fight diseases that are common in trees.

These are just a few of the ways the study of genes can help our world.

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Benefits of the human genome project

The Human Genome Project launched by the Us Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health was an ambitious and expensive program launched in 1990 with a target period of fifteen years. However, the rapid technological advancements in the field of genetics ensured that the project was over in 2003 thirteen years after the commencement. Human genome simply said is the sum total of all the genes present in a human body that which gives it the defining chemical code. This human genome determination study provided the scientists a road map to follow further analysis of the DNA that characterizes any human. The most important achievement was that a new field of medical study emerged which could by the use of the information of genes predicts and intervene in case of genetic diseases with help of specifically created health medicines. One of the amazing theories of treatment with health medicines after genetic analysis is commencing the treatment before the disease manifests made possible by the predictions. Another spin off of the human genome study is that complex human nature that creates and sustains addiction can now be tackled with gene therapy using these health medicines. Although the tall claims of health medicines developed through DNA analysis might sound completely fictitious to the uninformed there lay a great potential in treatment of complex diseases in it. Study of the human genome has made parent identification a reality and also has many applications in law enforcement apart from the use in health medicines. Even there have been rapid advancements in the field of bio fuels from the study of human genome by this particular project. Genetically predisposed medical disorders are now well within the reach of preventive intervention by the health medicines of the new technology.

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What the Human Genome holds for future

The mapping of the gene structure done by the Human Genome Project sponsored by the Us Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health is scientific advancement of far reaching consequences for the future research and development of better medicines. At the launch of the project in 1990 the results were not anticipated at the scale which they actually turned out to be. The human genome is the collection of the DNA comprising of genes and chromosomes which determine the genetic coding of the body of a human being and in that way defining all characteristics that the body displays during its life time. Understanding and accurately pinpointing the human genome enables scientists to diagnose and treat diseases which were considered difficult about a decade ago. The genome also gives the ability to predict disease from the information of the genetic coding. This will lead to creation of health medicines that are tuned to the requirement of that disease foe a specific human body thereby ensuring accurate cure without side effects. These future health medicines will also mean commencing the preventive treatment of predicted or anticipated disease promising an early and definite restore to health. The health medicines will also have the ability to venture into more unpredictable arenas of the human mind and be used for treatment of behavioral disorders like addictions and abnormal reactions. The future belongs to these health medicines made possible by the mapping of the human genome in which specific and customized treatment and medical intervention for complicated diseases will be possible. The Human Genome Project has opened up vast possibilities in future research to better understand the human origin and migratory history. It will additionally give an insight into the process of evolution of the human body and the development of the human mind.

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Human Genome Sciences creating breakthrough Medicines

The human genome science which has now turn out to be a specialized field of research in the medical studies received its first major boost by the human genome project of the US government in 2003. The discovery of the genetic map of the human body has led to the creation of medicines not thought possible only a decade ago. These health medicines have their genesis in the accurate information regarding the genetic code of the human body. The human genome gives us the power to understand the genetic component of a disease in the human body and thereby enables us to give accurate diagnosis and treatment through intervention. These health medicines are break through in their nature primarily because of the orientation of the chemical composition which is designed to suit the body and address the exact genetic component of the disease giving an effective and fast treatment. Health medicines using the human genome can also be administered to commence treatment of future diseases that can also predicted by the study of human genome. This early intervention and anticipative treatment will mean that diseases can now be controlled in the early stages itself and the efficiency of the therapy will be greater than before. The conventional medicines are generic in the sense that they do not cater specifically to a single human body and can therefore be the cause of many unwanted side effects since some bodies react differently to the medicines. This will be a thing of the past with the new age health medicine. These medicines will be targeted for a specific human body taking into account the possible reaction of the body to those chemicals. Health medicines developed after the study of the human genome can be extremely useful in psychological treatment therapies to correct behavioral disorders.

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Human Genome and its implications

Understanding the genetic composition of the human body has been one of the most challenging areas of scientific studies of the twentieth century. The human genome is made up of DNA which has four basic building blocks that can be arranged in 3 billion ways to create the order that defines the genetic nature of that individual. In 1990 the US government in collaboration with some other nations launched one of the most ambitious medical research projects in history with an astounding budget to fund that study. Though many people were not convinced about the worth of the human genome project by the end of the study after thirteen years the results took the whole world of medicine by surprise. The most important outcome of the study was the creation of the genetic map of the human body which determines the vary nature of the particular human. Once this map was ready using the information from DNA analysis of that human genome a complete guide to that body in terms of possible diseases and reaction of medicines to the body could be predicted. Thus treatment of future disease could commence before the disease itself using a whole new generation of customized medicines called the health medicines which were person and disease specific. Health medicines not only promise early cure but also guarantee that the chemical side effects of the medicines is analyzed before the administration. Health medicines are now being applied to more complex fields like behavioral therapy against addictions by having a detailed genetic report before commencement of the treatment. Thus the human genome study has proved to be a revolutionary stage in the development of advanced and customized heath medicines. This development allows us to identify the genetic component of the disease and make the health medicines accordingly.

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Benefits of the human genome project

The Human Genome Project launched by the Us Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health was an ambitious and expensive program launched in 1990 with a target period of fifteen years. However, the rapid technological advancements in the field of genetics ensured that the project was over in 2003 thirteen years after the commencement. Human genome simply said is the sum total of all the genes present in a human body that which gives it the defining chemical code. This human genome determination study provided the scientists a road map to follow further analysis of the DNA that characterizes any human. The most important achievement was that a new field of medical study emerged which could by the use of the information of genes predicts and intervene in case of genetic diseases with help of specifically created health medicines. One of the amazing theories of treatment with health medicines after genetic analysis is commencing the treatment before the disease manifests made possible by the predictions. Another spin off of the human genome study is that complex human nature that creates and sustains addiction can now be tackled with gene therapy using these health medicines. Although the tall claims of health medicines developed through DNA analysis might sound completely fictitious to the uninformed there lay a great potential in treatment of complex diseases in it. Study of the human genome has made parent identification a reality and also has many applications in law enforcement apart from the use in health medicines. Even there have been rapid advancements in the field of bio fuels from the study of human genome by this particular project. Genetically predisposed medical disorders are now well within the reach of preventive intervention by the health medicines of the new technology

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Woman’s Shape Influenced by Genetics

A section of DNA; the sequence of the plate-li...
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It is a little-understood reality that a woman’s shape is determined long before lifestyle choices begin to have any impact. A recent study by world-renowned scientists and researchers at the University of Edinburgh has identified 13 new regions in woman’s genes that are linked to women’s body shape.

Interestingly, many have a greater influence on women than on men, determining such important factors as where and how much fat will be stored. These so-called "apple" or "pear" genes are also quite influential in risk factors relating to a woman’s health throughout her life.

"Apple-shaped" women with fat in the waist area have proven more susceptible to such health conditions as Type-2 diabetes and heart disease. In contrast, women with "pear-shaped" bodies (wherein fat is storied in the buttocks and thighs) have been shown to have a decreased risk against high-blood pressure, diabetes, and other health threats.

These researchers were able to locate these DNA gene variations after extensive data-pooling from multiple international genetic studies which involved hundreds of thousands of people.

Of the thirteen gene regions found to have impact on the distribution of fat to either the waist or the hip areas, seven had a much bigger impact on females than on their male counterparts. That being said, these findings to date can explain around only 1% of the variations in this hip-to-waist ratio. Even so, they clearly point to important and influential biological mechanisms the influence the storage of body.

Genes that are central to the regulation of blood fats, insulin, insulin resistance (meaning the inability of the body to properly respond to insulin) and levels of cholesterol are all considered important in the way the body manages fat.

Scientists are now actively pursuing research in the field of drug therapies every day.

All this is further confirmation of the vital importance of the research being done on the human genome and other advances in biotech at the cusp of the 21st century.

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Obesity Gene Discovery: An Important Biotech Breakthrough

Excess adipose tissue around a male's mid-section.
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In what may be truly groundbreaking news, scientists have recently discovered genes that apparently play a role in the human pre-disposition towards obesity. In the first of two reports, researchers determined that there are at least 18 gene variants that have some link to obesity. They also believe that 14 additional  gene variants could also play a role.

In a second report by the same group of researchers, at least 13 gene variants were found that impact how fat is directed to either the belly or thighs.

Scientists cautioned that these studies are preliminary and are subject to peer review and further evaluation. One of the research team leaders indicated, for example, that the genes cannot as yet be used to predict whether someone will actually become obese or not. They have only identified the genes that they believe to be directly related to obesity and to the storage of body fat. How exactly they work to develop a vulnerability or resistance to obesity is not known at this time.

However, scientists also stressed that by knowing the biology they are far more likely to invent a more effective preventive strategy for obesity. These discoveries will lead to additional breakthroughs, with the very real possibility in the next several years of there being new and powerful obesity interventions as a result.

It is important to also note that discovering that someone has these gene variants is not the same as saying that that individual will be obese. In fact, predicting that someone will suffer from obesity based on these variants alone has about the same odds as flipping a coin. But as is often the case, every step forward in the study of human genetics is an incremental one, and scientists are confident that this is an important advancement in their efforts to better understand the underlying factors in human obesity.

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Human Genomes Reveal Longevity Secrets

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Thanks to advances in the study of human genomes, health medicine and insurance premiums may never be the same. Scientists are studying the DNA of the world’s oldest individuals and have pinpointed certain genetic characteristics that lead to longevity. Soon a test may be available that would tell a person if they contain the genetic predisposition to live 100 years or more.

Scientists have been looking for clues to healthy aging and research has shown that in most developed countries most people live around 80 years and age continues to go up due to health medicine advances, better nutrition, and public health. These studies are targeting and researching the genes of those who live decades beyond this to see what characteristics they have in common genetically. So far, scientists have pinpointed 150 genetic markers that when taken together are linked to extra long life. One specific gene, when present, can triple an individual’s chances of living past 100.

These genes and the manner in which they interact is of course a very complex study. The study of specific genes that help the body to respond to disease, famine, and other physical and environmental stressors could play a role in teaching us more about ways to ward off diseases and other effects of aging in the future.

This kind of information is tantalizing and provoking especially for health medicine research, but what are the social consequences of making this sort of predictive test available to the public and or individual? These genome may reveal more information that many want or need to know. For instance, how would a person make life decisions regarding health care, retirement, life insurance, etc., if they knew they were likely or unlikely to live a very long life? Would life insurance and medical insurers exploit or deny coverages based upon genetic predisposition?

As biotech advances continue to reveal more information about the human species, more questions are raised about the social implications of such powerful and no less life altering information.

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