On April 25, World DNA Day is commemorated to honor the contributions of the two British scientists. DNA, short for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, holds the genetic instructions for a living being’s growth and function, and DNA tests prove a few things; you should know about this vital component of life in your body.
Does DNA reside in the body?
Each of the body’s cells has a nucleus that contains DNA. Parts of it are encased in chromosomes, which are tightly bonded bundles. A person’s chromosomes are divided into 23 pairs for 46 couples. Twenty-two of these pairs are identical in all people, but one team—the X and Y chromosomes, or sex chromosomes—gives birth to male and female characteristics.
Various genes demonstrated by DNA testing Labs, sections of DNA that inform cells how to assemble the many proteins required to create and maintain life, are found on each chromosome. Genes are the fundamental components of inheritance.
Virus DNA accounts for about 5-8 percent of your DNA.
We contain roughly 100,000 fragments of DNA from retroviruses that have been collected throughout the history of human evolution, according to scientists.
Primates such as chimps, gorillas, and orangutans share 96 percent of our DNA.
Bananas, with whom we share 50% of our DNA, and snails, with whom we share 70% of our DNA, are likewise genetically linked to us.
Human DNA is nearly identical in 99.9% of the cases.
It’s the 0.1 percent difference that distinguishes us as individuals with various skin, hair, and eye colors. Scientists also believe that the remaining 0.1 percent contains crucial information regarding illness etiology.
The human body consists of around 10 trillion cells.
If we unraveled our complete DNA, it would span six billion miles or 65 times the distance between the Earth and the sun.
Although chimeras are uncommon, it is conceivable for a person to have two entirely distinct DNA profiles.
It can happen during a normal pregnancy, when the mother maintains some of the DNA from her baby, or when a fetus absorbs its twin. An illusion is created when a person has a bone marrow transplant and the donor’s bone marrow continues to produce blood cells with the donor’s DNA.
Almost all body cells have DNA, except red blood cells.
On the other hand, all red blood cells begin with DNA; as part of the maturation process, they destroy their nucleus when it is no longer needed.
Humans have 20,000-25,000.
However, they only make up roughly 3% of our DNA. Scientists are unsure of the purpose of the remaining 97 percent. However, they believe it has something to do with gene regulation.
There are three billion base pairs of DNA.
It is anticipated that typing the human genome at 60 words per minute for eight hours a day would take around 50 years.
Unlike octopuses, humans can’t change our DNA spontaneously.
However, scientists have discovered CRISPR-Cas9, a complicated protein-based technology that has been successfully used to modify DNA in faulty embryos to avoid hereditary disorders.
I-Motifs
Although we are all familiar with the double helix shape, scientists have just found a new kind of DNA in living human cells. It’s known as i-motif and is characterized as “a four-stranded DNA knot.”
The International Space Station has an Immortality Drive that holds the DNA of famous individuals.
It contains fully digitized DNA sequences of physicist Stephen Hawking, talk show host Stephen Colbert, Playboy model Jo Garcia, game designer Richard Garriott, novelists Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, wrestler Matt Morgan, and former athlete Lance Armstrong, and was transported there on a Soyuz spacecraft in 2008.
When it comes to change,
DNA, like everything else in nature, isn’t flawless, and mistakes can happen as it repeats itself. Environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and UV radiation can also damage DNA. Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence of our genes that can either be inherited or acquired, and DNA tests can diagnose these mutations.
A tiny number of genetic alterations can cause significant health issues, referred to as genetic disorders. Cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease are examples of inherited genetic illnesses. Cancer can be caused by inherited genetic alterations or mutations acquired via exposure to hazardous environmental conditions. Miscarriage or diseases like Trisomy 21, often known as Down Syndrome, can result from congenital abnormalities in DNA Structure within a growing embryo.
