What is DNA? and how is it Used?

1. What is DNA? and how is it Used? By: Cole Harlan

2. What is DNA? • DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. • It is a nucleic acid containing the instructions used in development and functioning of all known living organisms. • DNA consists of two chains with strands called nucleotides. Linked together they form a ladder-like structure that is twisted into the shape of a winding stair-case. This structure is called a double helix. • DNA, along with RNA and Proteins, is one of the three majors macromolecules that is essential for all life forms.

3. Why do we have DNA? • DNA is the code that decides everything about what makes up our bodies inside and out. • DNA determines many things such as our hair color, skin color, eye color, and whether we are male or female. No two people in the world have the exact same DNA, expect identical twins.

4. Ways DNA is used by Humans • DNA is used by many people for many reasons in modern day. Some ways it’s used are: • Gene Therapy • Paternity & Maternity Tests • Criminal Investigations

5. Gene Therapy • Gene therapy is the use of DNA as a pharmaceutical agent to treat disease. • It gets its name from the idea that DNA can be used to supplement or alter genes within cells to treat diseases • There are two types of gene therapy. They are: • Somatic Gene Therapy • Germ Line Gene Therapy

6. Somatic Gene Therapy • In somatic gene therapy, the therapeutic genes are transferred into the somatic cells of a patient. • Any modifications will affect the patient only, meaning it will not affect the patients offspring or later generations. • Somatic gene therapy represents the mainstream line of current basic and clinical research, where mRNA is used to treat a disease in an individual.

7. Germ Line Gene Therapy • In this type of gene therapy, germ cells (sperm & eggs), are modified by the introduction of functional genes, which are integrated into their genomes. • This type of therapy allows the modified genes to be heritable and passed to the patients offspring and later generations. • Although this type of gene therapy should be highly effective in counteracting genetic disorders and hereditary diseases, many jurisdictions prohibit this for application in human beings, for now, for a number technical and ethical reasons.

8. Paternity & Maternity Tests • Paternity and maternity testing is done to determine whether a man or woman is the parent of child. • The DNA of an individual is almost the same in every somatic (non-reproductive) cell. Sexual reproduction brings the DNA of both parents together randomly to create a unique combination of genetic material in a new cell, so the genetic material of an individual is derived from the genetic material of both their parents in roughly equal amounts. This genetic material is known as the nuclear genome of the individual, because it is found in the nucleus. • Comparing the DNA sequence of an individual to that of another individual can show whether one of them was derived from the other. • The most common samples of DNA used in testing are cheek, also known as buccal, swabs and blood samples. Although these two are most common, anything biological from the body can be used.

9. Criminal Investigations • Another way DNA is used in modern day is in Criminal Investigations. In these investigations forensic scientists use blood, skin, semen, saliva, hair, or fingerprints found at the scene of a crime to identify matching DNA of a person. This is called DNA profiling, or sometimes referred to as “genetic fingerprinting”. In this, DNA is usually compared between people. This was first developed in 1984 by British geneticist Alec Jefferys and used to convict Colin Pitchfork for the Enderby murders case.

10. Work Cited • www.google.com • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA • http://www.ehow.com/facts_5004658_what-dna-testing-used.html • http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dna-fingerprinting

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