In the last issue of Progress, we looked at the way that genes are involved in the cause of cancer.
Genes are the coded instructions for every function of our cells.
Changes to genes can cause changes to the way cells grow and divide - they can make cells become cancerous. However, in this issue I want to explain how genes control the functions of cells. Genes are made from a chemical called DNA, which is a long, thin molecule like a very, very long piece of string. Along the length of the DNA molecule are a series of bases. These are linked together in a very specific sequence, which is determined by the genetic code.