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4. Molecular Basis Of Inheritance

-CREATED BY-

SHRI. DESHMUKH A. B.

ASST. TEACHER (BIOLOGY)

AGASTI ARTS, COMMERCE AND DADASAHEB RUPWATE SCIENCE JUNIOR COLLEGE, AKOLE

4.9 Human Genome Project

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4.9 Human Genome Project :

  • The human genome project was initiated in 1990 under the International administration of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO).
  • This project was coordinated by the US department of Energy and National institute of health.
  • Additional contributors included
    • Universities across the United States and
    • International partners in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, India and China.
  • The Human Genome Project formally began in 1990 and was completed in 2003.
  • The human genome project is a multinational research project to determine the genomic structure of humans.

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  • The main aims of project are –

I. Mapping the entire human genome at the level of

nucleotide sequences.

II. To store the information collected from the project in

databases.

III. To develop tools and techniques for analysis of the

data.

IV. Transfer of the related technologies to the private

sectors, such as industries.

V. Taking care of the legal, ethical and social issues

which may arise from project.

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  • HGP (Human Genome Project) was closely associated with rapid development of a new area in biology, called Bioinformatics.
  • The work of human genome project has allowed researchers to begin to understand the blueprint in building and constructing the human genome.
  • As researchers learn more about the functions of genes and proteins, this knowledge will have a major impact in the fields like Medicine, Biotechnology and the Life sciences.
  • Therefore HGP is very important.

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  • Human Genome Project was
    • to provide a complete and accurate sequence of the 3 billion DNA base pairs that make up the human genome and
    • to find out the estimated number of human genes.
  • Now about 33000 genes have been estimated to be present in humans.

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  • The project was also aimed to sequence the genomes of several other organisms such as
    • Bacteria - e.g. E.coli,
    • Caenorhabditis elegans (a free living non-pathogenic nematode),
    • Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast),
    • Drosophila (fruit fly),
    • Plants (rice and Arabidopsis),
    • Mus musculus (mouse), etc.
  • Complete genome sequences of these model organisms will be useful for comparative studies that will allow researchers to study gene functions in these organisms.

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  • The secret of our complexity may lie
    • not in the number of our genes
    • but how we use them.
  • It will lead to the understanding of gene structure and function in other species.
  • Since we possess many of the genes same as these of flies, round worms and mice,
  • Such studies will lead to a greater understanding of human evolution.