Реферат: A Look At The Human Genome Project

Untitled Essay, Research Paper

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A Massive Project for the Benefit of Mankind:

A Look at the Human Genome Project??? Scientists are taking medical technology to new heights as they race to

map all of the genes, nearly 100,000, in the 23 chromosomes of the human body. Along the

way, they hope to understand the basis of, and maybe even develop methods of treating

certain genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer?s and Muscular Dystrophy. They plan to do

this by identifying the DNA sequence of an abnormal gene in which a disease originates and

comparing it with the data of a normal or healthy gene. The entire research project is

entitled “The Human Genome Project.”

??? “The Human Genome Project” is a large scale project being

conducted by more than 200 laboratories, with even more researchers and labs having joined

in. Most of the labs and researchers are located in France and the United States. The

project started in 1990 and was slated to take 15 years and cost $3 billion in U.S. money

for the entire project coming to roughly $200 million per year. Federal funding for the

project is nearly 60% of the annual need. This has created some funding problems for the

project. There also have been technological advances and discoveries that have helped to

speed up the project. This automation may help to reduce the cost and help the project to

meet its objectives ahead of schedule. The project was estimated to have detailed maps of

all of the chromosomes and know the location of most of the human Genes by 1996.

Researchers have successfully located the gene and DNA sequence for Huntington?s

Disease on Chromosome 4 and have created a genetic test to determine if a person carries

this gene. “The child of a person with Huntington’s has a 50% chance of inheriting

the gene, which inevitably leads to the disease.” Once an individual acquires the

gene, it is only a matter of time before they acquire the disease. Because the medical

costs of treating such persons in terminal illnesses are extremely high, insurance

companies who want to stay in business see this genetic test, and others like it, as an

opportunity to screen prospective clients for the probability of such diseases. Some

people feel that this information gives insurance companies unfair advantage over those

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