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Tuesday 23 July 2013

How is our genetic code stored?

Genes define who we are. This genetic information is coded into our DNA, which has four bases, A, C, G and T that pair up in complementary base pairings. These bases are like instructions to make a protein. Humans have an estimated 20,500 genes that vary in length in each cell.  And if you were to stitch all 46 human chromosomes they would measure nearly 2m. They determine all aspects of how the body works, from your physical appearance to the biochemical reactions that happen deep inside your body.

Every individual has two copies of every gene, one which is inherited from each parent. Within your body there are several alleles of each gene. Alleles are different forms of the same genetic code with minor alterations within the code. Overall these alleles perform the same function, but the subtle differences within the code makes each of us unique.

Inside each of our cells ( except red blood cells) is a nucleus where our genetic information is stored. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is made up of A (adenine), C (cytosine), G (guanine) and T (thymine). Francis Crick who was partly credited with the discovery of DNA put it "DNA makes RNA, RNA makes proteins and proteins make us" 

RNA is ribonucleic acid which is a temporary copy of the DNA which enables it to be carried out into the cytoplasm (outside the nucleus) to the ribosomes which is where the proteins are made. This copying means that each cell can retain the same DNA with the new cell being identical to the first.

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