Question

Human Genome Project (HGP) was a mega project launched in the year 1990 with some important goals.

(a) Enlist any four prime goals of HGP.

(b) Name any one common non-human animal model organism which has also been sequenced thereafter.

Answer 1

(a) Human Genome Project (HGP) was a mega project launched in the year 1990.

Prime goals of HGP were as follows:

(1) Identify all the approximately 20,000 – 25,000 genes in human DNA.

(2) Determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA.

(3) Store this information in databases.

(4) Address the ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.

(5) Improve tools for data analysis.

(6) Transfer related technologies to other sectors, such as industries.

(b) Drosophila, the fruit fly, is one of the non-human animal model organisms whose genome has been sequenced.