17 Things You Should Know About DNA

DNA 17 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT Are you a living creature? Then, congratulations! You have DNA! That microscopic little building block of life that makes us all the same, but grants us with distinct differences. But for as common as DNA is, it can be a tough subject to understand. Below are some of the facts to help you better understand the little bit of genetic coding that makes you, you! DNA STANDS FOR DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID. DNA was first isolated by Friedrich Miescher, who in 1869, discovered a microscopic substance in the pus of discarded surgical bandages that he called "NUCLEIN." DNA IS FOUND IN ALL LIVING THINGS. DNA has a double-helix structure like a twisted ladder. The steps of the ladder are bases... THE SIDES OF THE DNA LADDER ARE MADE OF SUGARS AND PHOSPHATE ATOMS. ADENINE (A) IS A BASE. THYMINE (T) IS A BASE. CYTOSINE (C) IS A BASE. GUANINE (G) IS A BASE. SUGAR 1 MILLION BASES (A.K.A. A MEGABASE) OF DNA SEQUENCE DATA IS ROUGHLY EQUIVALENT TO 1 MEGABYTE OF COMPUTER DATA STORAGE SPACE. Our entire DNA sequence is called a genome... and there's an estimated Our entire DNA 3,000,000,000 sequence would fill 200 1,000-page New York City telephone DNA bases in our genome. directories. A complete 3 billion base genome would take 3 GIGABYTES OF STORAGE SPACE. IF YOU UNWRAP ALL OF THE DNA YOU HAVE IN ALL YOUR CELLS, YOU COULD REACH THE MOON 6000 TIMES. 99.9% OF OUR DNA SEQUENCE IS THE SAME AS OTHER HUMANS'. 99% This 0.1% DNA DIFFERENCE between us may have to do with the number of nucleotides in a person's DNA. When DNA is copied in to a new life, the nucleotides are either gained or lost in the process. This gain or loss results in our differences. 11 = 50 YEARS 10 %3D CLLLELLELEI It would take a person typing 60 words per minute, 8 hours a day, around 50 years to type the human genome. In 2000, a rough draft of a map of the entire human genome (complete DNA sequence) was completed. DRAFT IN 2003, THE I WAS COMPLETED. THIS INFORMATION IS BEING USED TO: OBETTER UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE AND FUNCTION OF DISEASE. OCREATE BETTER PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE. 50% SIBLINGS SHARE 50% OF THEIR GENES. .AS DO A PARENT AND CHILD. HUMANS AND CHIMPS SHARE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 94-99% OF THEIR DNA. According to recent research, humans have at least 1-4% NEANDERTHALI NA. AT SOME POINT, HOMOSAPIENS AND NEANDERTHALSMINGLED AND MATED. UnlineSchools SOURCES: www.OnlineSchools.org HTTP://ABCNEWS.GO.COM/TECHNOLOGY/STORY?ID=99478&PAGE=1 HTTP://WWW.SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM/ARTICLE.CEM?ID=HUMAN-CHIMP-GENE-GAP-WIDE HTTP://WWW.GENOME GOV/11006943 HTTP://DNA.ANCESTRY.COM/FAQ.ASPX#TESTINGDISEASES HTTP://WWW.BUSYBUZZBLOGGING.COM/3025/MOST-HUMANS-HAVE-NEANDERTHAL-DNA/ HTTP://WWW.STRANGE-FACTS.INFO/INTERESTING-FACTS-ABOUT-DNA/COMMENT-PAGE-1 HTTP://WWW.EYEONDNA.COM/2007/08/20/100-FACTS-ABOUT-DNA/ HTTP://WWW.EYEONDNA.COM/2007/12/14/CRAZY-GENETIC-MARKETING-IDEAS/ DESIGN BY ELLIE KONING