INTRODUCING "DNA" AS AN AMAZING MOLECULE

 

DNA is a biomolecule that conveys the hereditary directions utilized in the development, improvement, working, and multiplication of all known living beings and some infections. Understanding its structure how it functions has fundamentally altered our world. Apart from molecular genetics, other disciplines such as psychology, criminology, and most notably medical, veterinary, and agricultural sciences are benefitted significantly from the knowledge of DNA. But there are some mind-blowing interesting facts that you may have known before about DNA.

Let’s have a look at the facts…

 

1

 

DNA from a single cell is 6 feet long if fully stretched out and if all the DNA is taken from each and every cell in your body, it will stretch to 100 billion miles, long enough to go round our entire solar system 14 times.

 

2

 

The Human Genome contains about 20,000 genes. However, those genes make only 1 – 2 % of our DNA. The other 98% is non-coding DNA which has very little value for us. But recent researches have shown that these non-coding DNA may have very vital functions in our body.

 

3

 

Our genes are not as unique as we think. Identical Twins are 100% similar genetically and also we are genetically 50/50 split of our Mom and Dad. But we also share 50% of our genes with our siblings and the fraternal twins only share 50% genes as well. Our genes are approximately 25% similar to our grandparents, aunts, and uncles; and also 12.5% similar to our 1^st cousins. We are all 99.9% alike. Only 0.1% are unique to us of the 3 billion pairs in the Human Genome. Though that 0.1% makes us unique; we are still more similar than we are different

 

4

 

DNA is great at storing data. A gram of DNA can store 700 terabits of data that can store 3,58,000 hours of HD videos and it will take over 40 years to watch without sleeping. By the way, we have 50 grams of DNA in our bodies. We need only 2 grams of DNA to store all the digital information in the whole world.

 

5

 

The human genome is a complete sequence of human DNA i.e. all the 3 billion base pairs including all the positions of genes. If we start typing the whole human genome with a typing speed of 60 words per minute, it will take 95 years to complete it. But the human genome project took 13 years to map the entire human genome which was an excellent collaborative effort by the scientists.

 

6

 

Our Mitochondria have their own DNA that is separate From the DNA stored in our nucleus. Interestingly Mitochondria come from our maternal line i.e. it follows our mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and so on.

 

7

 

The DNA sequence of several notable people has been digitalized, they are physicist Stephen Hawkins, comedian Stephen Colbert, Playboy model Jo Garcia, athlete Lance Armstrong, authors Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, game designer Richard Garriott pro wrestler Matt Morgan. These are stored in a hard drive named Immortal drive and it’s stored in the International Space Station. It’s a microchip specifically designed to function as a futuristic time capsule and we can find it long after we are gone. The DNA sequences will be used to make humans Fit, Funny, and Extremely Intelligent. This drive also contains a copy of George’s Secret Key to The Universe, a children’s book authored by Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy.

 

8

 

These are the DNA evidence that suggests that Polynesians were the 1^st people to reach the New World or America and not Columbus. Some stories also tell that Polynesians also visited Antarctica around the year 650.

 

9

 

Today 8% of human DNA is made of ancient viruses that used to infect humans. Endogenous Retrovirus(ERV) is one of them. These ERVs are most abundant in the genomes of jawed vertebrates, and they comprise up to 5 to 8 % of the human genome (lower estimates of ~1 %)

 

10

 

Throughout the processes of human evolution, scientists have found that a total of 510 DNA codes have been lost.

 

11

 

As DNA is like a fingerprint that makes us unique from others but it’s hard to read the DNA sequences, scientists have developed so many techniques to read the DNA sequences to identify a person easily and entirely. These processes are named DNA FINGERPRINTING. This process can be done by isolating DNA from blood, semen, vaginal fluids, hair roots, skin, skeletal remains, or elsewhere. "It is the procedure of concoction discontinuity of DNA into remarkable examples and coordinating the example personality with that got from the speculate's an example." Only 1 – 2 % of total DNA is called gene and the rest 98% is Junk DNA. A portion of the junk DNA contains a hypervariable region. These regions are very much unique for every person. Thus by using this DNA fingerprinting technique we can identify the parental links as well as we can catch the criminals among the suspects of any crime.

 

12

 

Humans share about 40 to 50% identical DNA with cabbages. Aside from cabbages; the Human DNA is 50% identical to the DNA of bananas as well. It’s so much interesting that we are around 50% similar to both cabbage and banana.

 

13

 

The Human Genome contains three billion pairs of DNA but only has four building blocks. The rungs on the ladder-shaped molecules are made of bases :

Adenine (A)

Cytosine (C)

Guanine (G) and

Thymine (T)

 

They are locked together in pairs with Hydrogen bonds. The interesting part is that they pair up in very specific ways such as A always pairs with T and C pairs with G. this property of DNA never fluctuates.

All the images are taken from Google.com.

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