A Short Guide To The Human Genome

Although the human genome has been sequenced, it can be difficult to find answers to seemingly simple questions about its characteristics. How many genes are there? Which genes are commonly associated with genetic diseases? How many DNA-binding proteins, mobile elements, or kinases are present? What are the major differences between human proteins and those of other species? This convenient handbook, written in question-and-answer format, allows researchers and teachers alike access to basic facts about the human genome.

The DNA sequence that comprises the human genome--the genetic blueprint found in each of our cells--is undoubtedly the greatest code ever to be broken. Completed at the dawn of a new millennium, the feat electrified both the scientific community and the general public with its tantalizing promise of new and better treatments for countless diseases, including Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's. Yet what is arguably the most important discovery of our time has also opened a Pandora's box of questions about who we are as humans and how the unique information stored in our genomes can and might be used, making it all the more important for everyone to understand the new science of genomics. In the CURIOSITY GUIDE TO THE HUMAN GENOME, Dr. John Quackenbush, a renowned scientist and professor, conducts a fascinating tour of the history and science behind the Human Genome Project and the technologies that are revolutionizing the practice of medicine today. With a clear and engaging narrative style, he demystifies the fundamental principles of genetics and molecular biology, including the astounding ways in which genes function, alone or together with other genes and the environment, to either sustain life or trigger disease. In addition, Dr. Quackenbush goes beyond medicine to examine how DNA-sequencing technology is changing how we think of ourselves as a species by providing new insights about our earliest ancestors and reconfirming our inextricable link to all life on earth. Finally, he explores the legal and ethical questions surrounding such controversial topics as stem cell research, prenatal testing, forensics, and cloning, making this volume of the Curiosity Guides series an indispensable resource for navigating our brave new genomic world.

The DNA sequence that comprises the human genome--the genetic blueprint found in each of our cells--is undoubtedly the greatest code ever to be broken. Completed at the dawn of a new millennium, the feat electrified both the scientific community and the general public with its tantalizing promise of new and better treatments for countless diseases, including Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's. Yet what is arguably the most important discovery of our time has also opened a Pandora's box of questions about who we are as humans and how the unique information stored in our genomes can and might be used, making it all the more important for everyone to understand the new science of genomics. In the CURIOSITY GUIDE TO THE HUMAN GENOME, Dr. John Quackenbush, a renowned scientist and professor, conducts a fascinating tour of the history and science behind the Human Genome Project and the technologies that are revolutionizing the practice of medicine today. With a clear and engaging narrative style, he demystifies the fundamental principles of genetics and molecular biology, including the astounding ways in which genes function, alone or together with other genes and the environment, to either sustain life or trigger disease. In addition, Dr. Quackenbush goes beyond medicine to examine how DNA-sequencing technology is changing how we think of ourselves as a species by providing new insights about our earliest ancestors and reconfirming our inextricable link to all life on earth. Finally, he explores the legal and ethical questions surrounding such controversial topics as stem cell research, prenatal testing, forensics, and cloning, making this volume of the Curiosity Guides series an indispensable resource for navigating our brave new genomic world.

This simple, concise introduction to the HGP for the general reader explores the origins of the genome project and reactions in the scientific community; important technologies and techniques; institutions connected with the HGP, including designated genome centers, important suppliers of resources, and corporations; systems of communication; and ethical, legal, and social issues. A publication of the Biomolecular Sciences Initiative of CHF's Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry.

The Human Genome: A User's Guide conveys both the essence and the excitement of modern human genetics. Incorporating all of researchers' latest discoveries, the authors ground their work in the discussion of a major function of the human gene: that of sex determination and development. This focus opens the discussion to the interactions between science and society. Hawley and Mori take care to examine the process of genetic analysis and to explore relevant topics such as the genetics of cancer, behavior and personality, AIDS, mental illness, cloning, and gene therapy. The reader gains sophisticated insight into human heredity, beyond the misconceptions of folklore.

"Presenting the genes of the human genome in their biological context, Guide to the Human Genome is an extensive resource ... that provides easy access to information about human genes and their roles in specific processes. With numerous illustrations and tables, each of the nearly 300 sections of the Guide describes genes involved in a specific pathway, process, or structure--from the molecular and cellular levels to developmental and physiological processes ... The entire text of the Guide is searchable, and tools are available for identifying human protein sequences using those from other species. The Guide will be useful to researchers looking to connect sequence data with functional information, and can be used in parallel with traditional texts in undergraduate and graduate courses to provide a genomics dimension and experience of identifying genes underpinning processes of interest."--Publisher's description.