2. We are unique
Skin, eye, hair color
Environment
Food
Clothing
Language

3. How did we become so unique?
1) Sexual reproduction
2) Independent assortment of chromosomes (from mom and dad)
3) Random fertilization of gametes (random egg + random sperm)
IT’S IN OUR DNA!
Nicastro, n.d.

4. Chromosomes

5. DNA – We are unique – here‘s the math
Egg and Sperm with 223 (or about 8 million) different combinations of chromosomes are produced through meiosis
Sexual reproduction involves egg and sperm
A sperm (with 223 different chromosome combinations) can fertilize an egg (with 223 different chromosome combinations)
Any sperm can fertilize any egg
1 in 70 trillion chance you and non-identical twin sibling will be identical!
Nicastro, n.d.

6. Genes Organism’s instruction manual, “blueprints”
Each human has trillion cells
Each cell has a “genetic blueprint” that determines the function of the cell = “GENES”
Complete set is a “genome”
Humans have 20-25,000 genes that code for important traits
A gene is a section of our DNA that determines a particular trait
(Nicastro, n.d.; Berg, Tycmoczko, and Stryer, 2010)

7. DNA
Human DNA is made up of individual molecules strung together, like a twisted ladder = “Double helix”
Base pairs are the ladder rungs, (nucleotide), deoxyribose (sugar)-phosphase backbone
These base molecules are either A, T, C, or G, and the order is VERY IMPORTANT
3 BILLION – – base pairs long! – Human Genome Project
Remember = DNA stored on the chromosome
½ from mother + ½ from father = YOU ARE UNIQUE (UNLESS IDENTICAL TWINS)
Crane, C. (2012) and Berg, Tycmoczko, and Stryer, (2010)

8. Chromosomes

9. Genographic Project What is DNA? Mapping the human genome Forensics
Group 1
Group 2
Class 1 82 95
Class 2 76 88
Class 3 84 90
What is DNA?
Mapping the human genome
Forensics
Deep ancestral past

10. Mutations How are differences tracked?
How are our places of origin tracked?
Breaking the Code: behind/genetics-overview/

11. Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (aka ‘snip’)- Mutations
Random mutation of one of the base pairs, or “nucleotides”
DNA passed from mother or father
G is duplicated, deleted, or swapped
AATCGGTTC
This new code is passed down to subsequent offspring
Harmless mutation

12. The Genome Project + SNPs
Geneticists, researchers and their students sequenced the ENTIRE human genome – order of the 3 billion base pairs
Human Genome Project
Now that we know the order of all base pairs, now what?
Learn the genes (groups of base pairs) and the traits for which they code
(National Human Genome Research Institute, 2015)

13. (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2015)
2000-Present
Using SNPs, forensics can analyze DNA at a crime scene and pin-point an individual’s race/ethnicity, gender, genetic disorders, sex, age, origin
King Tut, Queen Nefertiti, archaeological sites in Middle East, Aztec, Inca, Peru, remains
Mass genocides – identify remains – Paris underground, Nazi’s mass graves at concentration camps, Rwanda, Bin Laden
Who is interested? - DOJ, NIH, NIJ, FBI Labs, Smithsonian, State Crime Labs
(National Human Genome Research Institute, 2015)

14. Genographic Project
We are all similar – we all share a portion of identical DNA
Each variant ethnic group shares genetic similarities
Let’s wrap up International Week by celebrating that we are all of the human species, sharing 99.9% of our DNA with each other.
You are 0.1% unique

15. SNPs and the Genographic Project
All males alive today share the same genetic code, to a certain point – on the Y chromosome
All PEOPLE alive today share same segment of mDNA (mitochondrial DNA) inherited from mother to children - mEve
Oldest traceable SNP occurred in Eastern Africa 100,000 years ago, you get two variations
(23 and me, 2015; Berg, Tycmoczko, and Stryer, 2010)

16. Next variation occurred later, around Northeastern Africa, near the Red Sea
So on and so forth, and the Genographic Project traces indigenous, native populations, and the public’s, DNA/genetic record.
SNPs in your DNA can trace back your “Deep Ancestry” to where these mutations first occurred, and which populations have same SNPs as you!
23 and me, 2015; Berg, Tycmoczko, and Stryer, 2010)