WHAT IS A GENOME?

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Our bodies are literally made up of millions and millions of cells! Each cell has an exact set up instructions. These instructions know how to make your cells, and they even know the components and their components' components of your cells. These instructions are known as your genome. Humans have pretty similar genomes, obviously, because we are all humans. But all living things have their own genome; even cockroaches have their own genome. There genome is a complete set of instructions for how to  make a cockroach. Even tomotoes have their own genome! As well as bacteria.

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Genomes are made of DNA!

 DNA looks like a ladder. The rungs on the DNA ladder are called base pairs. These base pairs can break, allowing the sides of the helix to come undone and unreavel. This special property is what allows DNA to copy itself, and to act as the instructions.

DNA's code is written in only four 'letters', called A, C, T and G. The meaning of this code lies in the sequence of the letters A, T, C and G in the same way that the meaning of a word lies in the sequence of alphabet letters. Your cells read the DNA sequence to make chemicals that your body needs to survive.

What does DNA code for?

A gene is a length of DNA that contains the instructions to make a chemical in your body.
In our cells, proteins are the workforce; they get everything done. Proteins break down our food to release energy. Proteins organise the transport of useful chemicals between cells. Often, these useful chemicals are themselves proteins.
As well as doing things, proteins are the building blocks for most of your body.
We talk about genes having different characteristics. For example, if you hear about 'genes for eye color', it means that these genes code for protein pigments in the iris of each of our eyes. Genes can come in different versions too.

Sequencing means determining the exact order of the base pairs in a segment of DNA. Human chromosomes range in size from about 50,000,000 to 300,000,000 base pairs.(Genome.gov, 2013)

SO...WHERE DO GENOMES COME FROM?

We have TWO genomes each, actually. Both are from out parents. One set of our genomes comes from our mom(egg cell), and the other comes from our dad (sperm cell).
At the moment of fertilization, the sperm cell and the egg cell join together to make a cell containing two genomes. The fertilized egg then has a complete set of instructions to make a new person, you!

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HUMANE GENOME PROJECT TIMELINE

1865: Gregor Mendel - The Father of Genetics - crossed pea plant variations

1869: Fridrich Miescher - identifies "nuclein"

1952: Rosalind Franklin - creates Photograph 51 (shows helix shape of DNA)

1953: James Watson and Francis Crick - discovered double helix structure of DNA

1961: Marshal Nirenberg - cracks the genetic code for protein synthesis

1977: Fredrick Sanger - developed DNA sequencing technique

1983: First genetic disease mapped (Huntington's Disease)

1989: Cystic Fibrosis gene mutation identified

1990: The Human Genome Project begins

2003: The Human Genome Project completion announced

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("GENOMES- THE BASICS", n.d).

COST OF HGP $$$

 Although estimates suggested that the project would cost a total of $3 billion over this period, the project ended up costing less than expected, about $2.7 billion in FY 1991 dollars.

We should also conciser though that this genome project will actually save us money in the long run. If one considers that genome-based research will play an important role in seeding biotechnology and drug development industries, not to mention improvements in human health. (Genome.gov, 2013)

GENOME FORECAST FOR THE FUTURE

So what will the next 50 years or so look like in medicine?

Having the essentially complete sequence of the human genome is similar to having all the pages of a manual needed to make the human body. Researchers and scientist now have to figure out how to read the contests of the genome and understand how the parts work together in order to discover new insights to human pathology. Individualized analysis based on each person's genome will hopefully lead to preventive medicine. We'll be able to learn about risks of future illness based on DNA analysis.Then, through our understanding at the molecular level of how things like diabetes or heart disease come about, we should see a new interventions, many of which will be drugs that are much more effective and accurate than those available today. (Genome.gov, 2013)

Most new drugs based on the completed genome are still perhaps 10 to 15 years in the future, although more than 350 biotech products - many based on genetic research are in currently being tested in trials. It usually takes more than a decade for a company to conduct the kinds of clinical studies needed to win marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration. (Genome.gov, 2013)

CAN YOU SEQUENCE MY GENOME??

TruGenome Service	Pricing for Standard TAT*	Pricing for Rapid TAT*
Undiagnosed Disease Test	$9,500	$11,400
Undiagnosed Disease Trio Test	$17,500	$21,000
Undiagnosed Disease Reflex Test	$9,500	$11,400
Predisposition Screen	$9,500	$11,400
Technical Sequence Data	$5,000	$6,000

For more information on how to get your genome sequenced...go to this website!

http://clinical.illumina.com/clinical/illumina_clinical_laboratory/igs_for_patients.html

BUT HOW DID THEY DO IT?

UNDERSTAND THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT IN LESS THAN 4 MINUTES

Watch this video for a summary of the Human Genome Project!

THE PRO'S OF GETTING YOUR GENOME SEQUENCED

By getting your genome sequenced, you could potentially prevent a disease from occurring in your body. This could lead to obvious benefits, such as living longer and feeling better. It would give you the opportunity to be more proactive in your health.


Here are some popular diseases that can be detected by genome sequencing:

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• Alzheimer disease - increased risk from variations of the APOE gene APOE gene. (APOE gene, 2014).

• Breast Cancer - BRCA gene

• Leukemia cells of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia contain a mutated gene called BCR-ABL

• Prostate Cancer - a mutation in a gene called HOXB13
  
  (Genome.gov, 2013) 

THE CON'S OF GETTING YOUR GENOME SEQUENCED

If you are wondering whether or not you SHOULD or SHOULD NOT get your genome sequenced, you are not the only one! Many people contemplate the pro's and con's. Some examples of why they would not want to get their genome sequenced are: the stress of knowing, the possibility of inaccurate results, and interpretation could be wrong.

Some of us would constantly worry if we had our DNA sequenced. What if you had the allele that increased your risk for heart attack? Would you automatically go on medication? Would you change your diet?

Also, the sequence is so complex that researchers are still figuring out how to interpret it exactly. What if you had your DNA sequenced and your health care provider interpreted the results incorrectly? It would be very difficult for you to try and read/interpret the results so you would have to just rely on what your health care provider said, right?


CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THIS MAN'S BLOG TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT FROM SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAD HIS GENOME SEQUENCED!
http://www.vice.com/read/personal-genomics-companies-23andme