Within your DNA, you have three billion pairs of nitrogenic bases, creating enough genetic material to stretch for billions of miles if it was laid out in a straight line. The four bases, adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C) and guanine (G), link together in various combinations of base pairs and determine the characteristics of the nucleotide. At conception, you get one set of chromosomes from your mother and another from your father, giving you a unique combination of characteristics expressed as what’s known as your genetic code.Įach DNA double helix is made up of two strands of nucleotides and a collection of nitrogenic bases. The total number differs depending on the chromosome, of which there are 23 pairs or a total of 46. In your body, DNA is tightly coiled up into chromosomes, and each chromosome contains a specific number of genes. What is DNA?ĭNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid and is the familiar “double helix” molecule forming the building blocks of every living organism. Since then, DNA and genetic testing have been all over the news, and the science behind it can leave your head spinning if you’re not familiar with what DNA is or how it works.Ī basic knowledge of DNA and genetics can help you understand the implications of all the emerging information about the human genome and decide whether new genetic testing options are worth the investment in light of your personal health concerns. In 2003, the Human Genome Project successfully mapped the entire sequence of genes in human DNA.
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