"Does Our DNA Make Us All Unique or All the Same?" Bob Grant
As we know, all human beings look different with almost all the same basic physical features. How is that? It all comes back to human genetics. "The study of human heredity occupies a central position in genetics"(Carson 2019). Therefore, this study is so popular due to the fact that understanding human heredity can allow for scientist and doctors to diagnose and treat any disease that involves genetics; but also humans want to know why they are the way they are. Which ties into Bob Grant's statement, "A better understanding of the genetic diversity among humans could motivate an appreciation of both our similarities and our differences"(Grant 2019). With that being said, finding a better understanding of the genomic tapestry, that makes up the human species, will stem from,"diversifying our cataloging and curation of human genome sequences"(Grant 2019). As research continued on this topic, the Human Genome Project realized that individual genomes varied much greater than originally expected. For instance, "researchers now know that human genomes differ from one another by about 0.6 percent"(Grant 2019). Believe it or not, this is six times greater than originally expected in the early 2000s.
So, are all humans different or the same? As people become ore educated in the genomic science world, people begin to appreciate how unique people really are, thanks to the genitives blueprints that build each individual. Although, research continues to notice the insane similarities in every human's DNA. Therefore, humans are just as much different, as they are the same. Today, researching of the widespread misuses of genetic science include the finding of the specific DNA that makes humans different from one another. For instance, after intensive research, researches discovered, "the genetic ambiguity between “races” far outweighs any clustering of genes capable of defining a particular race"(Grant 2019). Therefore, looking at DNA from this aspect, can really make all individuals seem very different.
On the other hand, looking at the main genetic similarities, that all humans carry, shows that all humans are somehow all related. Fortunately, for the human species, being alike can also bring a whole new development of medicine. Researchers found, "Our sameness can aid us in making therapies that are specific to genomic profiles shared by groups of people"(Grant 2019). Overall, researchers of this topic must come together to help science and medicine as a whole and use this complexity of research to it's advantage. Knowing the genetic commonalities and differences is what will guide the human species going forward.
https://www.the-scientist.com/editorial/does-our-dna-make-us-all-unique-or-all-the-same--66307
https://www.britannica.com/science/human-genetics
Hello Emily,
ReplyDeleteThis is an exciting topic. I am always astonished about how every individual of us is so unique. I always thought how did the world create us, and that fingerprint is the only thing that I knew can keep us different.