There was a story in yesterday's Independent (UK newspaper) that will change our perception of genetic similarity. The story was written by Steve Connor, who is the science editor of the publication.
The story is titled: "Genetic Breakthrough That Reveals the Differences Between Humans." Here are some quotes from the story...
The discovery has astonished scientists studying the human genome--the genetic recipe of man. Until now it was believed the variation between people was largely due to differences in the sequences of the individual "letters" of the genome.
It now appears much of the variation is explained instead by people having multiple copies of some key genes that make up the human genome.
The findings mean that instead of humanity being 99.9 percent identical, as previously believed, we are at least ten times more different between one another than once thought--which could explain why some people are prone to serious diseases.
The story caters to the last paragraph I typed about diseases in certain races. The study included 270 people with Asian, African, and European ancestry. It was done by American and British scientists.
The article is rather detailed in its findings and a really interesting read. I realize we are not suppose to promote websites, but here is the link:
http://news.independent.co.uk/ world/science_technology/article2007490.ece
The story is titled: "Genetic Breakthrough That Reveals the Differences Between Humans." Here are some quotes from the story...
The discovery has astonished scientists studying the human genome--the genetic recipe of man. Until now it was believed the variation between people was largely due to differences in the sequences of the individual "letters" of the genome.
It now appears much of the variation is explained instead by people having multiple copies of some key genes that make up the human genome.
The findings mean that instead of humanity being 99.9 percent identical, as previously believed, we are at least ten times more different between one another than once thought--which could explain why some people are prone to serious diseases.
The story caters to the last paragraph I typed about diseases in certain races. The study included 270 people with Asian, African, and European ancestry. It was done by American and British scientists.
The article is rather detailed in its findings and a really interesting read. I realize we are not suppose to promote websites, but here is the link:
http://news.independent.co.uk/ world/science_technology/article2007490.ece
