DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid which is a molecule that encodes the genetic instructions in humans and almost all other organisms. It comes in the form of a twisted ladder shape that is called a “double helix.” DNA was first identified in 1871 by Friedrich Miescher but up until today wonders about DNA are still discovered.
DNA can reach the moon 6000 times
If all the DNA we have in our cells is unwrapped and tied together, it could make thousands of round trips to the moon. As the strands of DNA in each single cell is about 6 feet long, with 100 trillion cells in the human body.
99.9% of DNA sequences are the same in all humans
Everybody’s uniqueness is indisputable but this similarity makes human first and foremost. The 0.1% may have to do with the number of nucleotides in each person’s DNA.
Humans and chimps share from 94% to 98% of their DNA
Recent researches indicate we are only 1.2% genetically different from chimpanzees. At some point Neanderthals and Homo sapiens mated.
Genes make up to 3% of DNA
Genes are parts of DNA that contain hereditary information that is passed from parent to offspring. The rest portion (97%) until recently was thought to be nonfunctional junk. Although scientists found that it helps to regulate the genes activity.
You can sequence the DNA of a fetus with blood and spit
The scientists can construct the DNA of an unborn child through blood sample of his mother and salvia of his father. This DNA sample construction can help to identify diseases in the offspring.
A parent and a child share 50% of their genes
A child shares half of the genetic material with his mother and the other half with his father. Siblings share 50% of their genes while identical twins share almost 100% of their genes. Even Identical twins have infrequent genetic differences due to mutations in DNA sequence occurring during development.
Human genome contains 3 billion pairs of DNA
Almost each cell in our body has a copy of DNA except for red blood cells. Each cell has 3 billion base pairs, or chemical letters. If these letters are written down it will take 30 years of nonstop writing.
In conclusion DNA is the “blueprint” of life. The chance that two different individuals happen to have identical DNA profile is one in billion. Consequently it is used widely in criminals recognition.
