This means that there are fewer genetic differences among Icelanders than there are among people in many other communities. A group of such closely related people provides a gene pool in which it is easier to spot genetic abnormalities than it is elsewhere. Searching for genetic abnormalities within most populations is difficult because the genetic material is so different from person to person that abnormalities do not stand out. Imagine searching for a flower of a precise shade of pink within a field of thousands of differently colored flowers. Searching for an abnormality in Iceland's genetic pool would be more like searching for a pink blossom in a field full of white flowers.
Some genetic abnormalities signal the presence of a gene that causes a disease.
The database proposed under the new law in Iceland would link individuals' family histories and medical records with their genetic information, which will help scientists find and identify genetic diseases. Genetic diseases are typically not restricted to a single population. Therefore information gathered from Iceland's database may potentially benefit all people. The new database will be established and mined by deCODE Genetics, a research company based in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. DeCODE will have exclusive marketing rights over the database for 12 years.