Brief glossary
The field of genetics is currently being discussed daily in the media. The research that maps the human genome, the cloning of animals and the identification of new genes for various diseases is the subject. Many people cannot put the new information in context, and therefore they hardly understand what the current genetic "breakthroughs" mean in relation to their health. In order to help you answer these questions, we have created a summary of the most important terms from the area of genetics. You will learn how the advances in genetics may help in the treatment of many diseases.
What the genes are?
The gene is a part of DNA with a specific function that is able to create its own identical copies which are transferred to the next generations. Each chromosome contains thousands of genes and each of them is thousands of bases long. The chain of bases in each gene contains the instructions to form single proteins. Each protein relates to a concrete function in our body. Such a protein may be, e.g., an enzyme, structural or signal protein. Some enzymes help us to digest food, structural proteins give shape to our cells, and signal molecules enable our cells to communicate with each other.
Each gene contains the signal sequences of bases which inform our cells which gene should be used to fulfill the specific function. These sequences may contain instructions that the protein responsible for the growth of hair should be created only in the cells of our skin and not in each cell of our body.
What is a DNA?
DNA (deoxyribonucleotid acid) is a long molecule that is contained in the nucleus of almost each cell of our body. It is a carrier of a genetic information. DNA consists of single parts called bases. There are four types of bases, called A (adenine), G (guanine), T (thymidine) and C (cytosine).
Each molecule of DNA consists of two separate spirals. These spirals are connected by hydrogenous bridges. In the pair, there is always A on one side of the bridge with T on the opposite. The same pair is formed by C and G. These A/T and G/C combinations are called pairs of bases. The spirals are then rolled as a coiled ribbon in the shape called the double helix. A part of DNA, millions of bases long, in connection with some proteins, forms the chromosome. DNA is located in our cells in the form of a chromosome.
