Scientists have discovered a dramatic variation in the genetic make-up of humans that could lead to a fundamental reappraisal of what causes incurable diseases and could provide a greater understanding of mankind. Until now it was believed the variation between people was due largely to differences in the sequences of the individual " letters" of the genome.It now appears much of the variation is explained instead by people having multiple copies of some key genes that make up the human genome. Instead of being 99.9 per cent identical, it may turn out to be more like 99 per cent identical - enough of a difference to explain many variations in human traits. Instead of having just two copies of every gene - one from each parent - we have some genes that are multiplied several times. Furthermore these "multiple copy numbers" differ from one person to another, which could explain human physical and even mental variation. This tends to explain why some individuals are vulnerable to certain diseases and respond well to specific drugs, while counterparts swiftly fall sick or never respond to treatment.
Link & Image: Yahoo News
Tags: DNA | Genetics | Gene | Human | Science
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