HUMAN GENOME PROJECT

Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. It was completed in 2003.
During the early years of the HGP, the Wellcome Trust (U.K.) became a major partner; additional contributions came from Japan, France, Germany, China, and others.

Project goals were to

-Identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA
-Determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA,
-Store this information in databases,
-Improve tools for data analysis,
-Transfer related technologies to the private sector, and
-Address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.
Though the HGP is finished, analyses of the data will continue for many years


The genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA. DNA in the human genome is arranged into 24 distinct chromosomes--physically separate molecules that range in length from about 50 million to 250 million base pairs. A few types of major chromosomal abnormalities, including missing or extra copies or gross breaks and rejoinings (translocations), can be detected by microscopic examination. Most changes in DNA, however, are more subtle and require a closer analysis of the DNA molecule to find perhaps single-base differences.Each chromosome contains many genes.The human genome is estimated to contain 20,000-25,000 genes.Although genes get a lot of attention, it’s the proteins that perform most life functions and even make up the majority of cellular structures.


For more info

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml