The work represents the latest stage of the analysis of the HGP that will continue in the future. The Human Genome Each of the 100 trillion cells in your body contains 46 chromosomes. The total collection of DNA in the cell is called the human genome. There are approximately three billion A, T, C, and Gs repeated over and over again in the human genome. Specific combinations of chemical bases found along the chromosome can encode genes that control all cell functions.
Genes are difficult to identify because they are hidden amongst only five per cent of the genome.
If the genome was a genetic dictionary , the entire DNA sequence written in regular size font would consist of one million pages each having 3,000 characters per page. The HGP is a worldwide research initiative with the goal of analyzing the complete sequence of A, T, C, and Gs in the human DNA to identify all of the genes. The information will represent a source book for biomedical science in the 21st century. It will help scientists understand, diagnose, and eventually treat many of the 5,000 genetic diseases that afflict humankind. The international HGP was officially launched in the early 1990s.