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Chapter 21: Problem 12

The Human Genome Project has demonstrated that in humans of all races and nationalities approximately 99.9 percent of the sequence is the same, yet different individuals can be identified by DNA fingerprinting techniques. What is one primary variation in the human genome that can be used to distinguish different individuals? Briefly explain your answer.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: A primary variation in the human genome that can be used to distinguish different individuals is the presence of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs are places in the DNA sequence where a single nucleotide (A, C, G, or T) is different between individuals. By analyzing specific regions of DNA containing a high number of SNPs, scientists can create a unique genetic profile or "fingerprint" for an individual, which can be used in forensic science or other identification processes.

Step by step solution

01

Identifying individual variations

One primary variation in the human genome that can be used to distinguish different individuals is the presence of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs).
02

Explaining Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, commonly known as SNPs, are places in the DNA sequence where a single nucleotide (A, C, G, or T) is different between individuals. These single base changes occur roughly every 300 nucleotides, and they are inherited from one generation to the next. Although many SNPs have no significant effect on a person's health, some SNPs can affect gene function, and they can serve as markers to track the inheritance of gene variants associated with specific traits or diseases.
03

Using SNPs for DNA Fingerprinting

By analyzing specific regions of DNA containing a high number of SNPs, scientists can create a unique genetic profile or "fingerprint" for an individual. In forensic science, this approach is commonly used to match a suspect's DNA to a crime scene sample or to identify a person in the case of mass disaster, paternity testing, or missing persons investigations.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

List and describe three major goals of the Human Genome Project.

Annotations of the human genome have shown that genes are not randomly distributed, but form clusters with gene "deserts" in between. These "deserts" correspond to the dark bands on G-banded chromosomes. Comparisons between the human transcriptome map and the genome sequence show that highly expressed genes are also clustered together. In terms of genome organization, how is this an advantage?

Genomic sequencing has opened the door to numerous studies that help us understand the evolutionary forces shaping the genetic makeup of organisms. Using databases containing the sequences of 25 genomes, scientists (Kreil, D.P. and Ouzounis, C.A., Nucl. Acids Res. 29: \(1608-1615,2001\) ) examined the relationship between GC content and global amino acid composition. They found that it is possible to identify thermophilic species on the basis of their amino acid composition alone, which suggests that evolution in a hot environment selects for a certain whole organism amino acid composition. In what way might evolution in extreme environments influence genome and amino acid composition? How might evolution in extreme environments influence the interpretation of genome sequence data?

Homology can be defined as the presence of common structures because of shared ancestry. Homology can involve genes, proteins, or anatomical structures. As a result of "descent with modification," many homologous structures have adapted different purposes. (a) List three anatomical structures in vertebrates that are homologous but have different functions. (b) Is it likely that homologous proteins from different species have the same or similar functions? Explain. (c) Under what circumstances might one expect proteins of similar function to not share homology? Would you expect such proteins to be homologous at the level of DNA sequences?

The term paralog is often used in conjunction with discussions of hemoglobin genes. What does this term mean, and how does it apply to hemoglobin genes?
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