D N A (deoxyribonucleic acid)

DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (D N A)

     DNA is a molecule that contains most of the genetic information that needs to develop, live and reproduce in all living organisms and even in viruses. It consists of two long chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complimentary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine.

     D N A is found in nucleus of cells. Hence it is found in blood, semen, skin, saliva and even in hair. Hence in a crime scene (for example a murder case) if any of the above of the murderer is found at the site it is easy to identify the murderer by comparing the D N A of the suspected persons with the D N A found at site.

     Even in mass accidents, and in decomposed bodies found later, D N A is very useful for identifying the dead body by comparing the D NA of the body with the D N A of blood related close relatives.

     There are instances that sons born illegally, claiming their father with the D N A technology successfully. Anyone who deceives a lady and make her pregnant can also be detected by D N A test.

     Understanding techniques in storage of genetic information in D N A has led to lot of development in computer technology. Machine learning, database theory, string searching algorithms is the result of the same.

     D N A in human cell and D N A In chimpanzee are almost the same up to 98%. If so why there is so much difference in human being and chimpanzee both in appearance and intelligence is not clear. Scientists attribute these differences to the sequence of genes of D N A as well as the types of genes. There may be need for further investigation in this regard.

     With so much technology developed in connection with D N A, we must know at least some brief note on it.

     D N A is organized into chromosomes within the cells. The set of chromosomes in a cell makes up its genome. The human genome has approximately 3 billion base pairs of D N A arranged into 46 chromosomes (23 pairs of chromosomes). 22 pairs of chromosomes look the same in both males and females. In the 23^rd chromosome females have 2 copies of x chromosome, while males have one x and one y chromosome. A gene is a sequence of D N A that contains genetic information. Cell division is essential for an organism to grow. When cell divides it must replicate the D N A in its genome, so that the two divided cells have the same genetic information as their parent cell.

     Genetic Engineering:

     Methods have been developed to purify D N A from organisms, such as phenol-chloroform extraction and to manipulate it in the laboratory. Recombinant D N A is a man made D N A sequence that has been assembled from other D N A sequences. They can be transformed into organisms. The text of 54000 word book was encoded in D N A by researchers in Harvard University in August 2012. There may be many further developments in connection with D N A in the near future.