Understanding Your Genes

• What is a DNA?
• What are Genes?
• What are Chromosomes?
• How do Genes Affect your
Health?
 Cells
-building blocks of all living things.
-too tiny to see with the naked eye.
-1,000,000,000,000s is in the body.
-hundreds of different cells
-red blood cell (carry oxygen)
-white blood cell (protect the body against
bacteria)
Fun Fact: The biggest cell is an OSTRICH EGG
 DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
-the material that exists in every cell in
your body that holds your genetic
code. It makes up your body’s
instruction manual.
 What is DNA made of?
• DNA has language that uses to write your
instruction manual (code)
• Four Chemical Bases make up your DNA
language
1. Adenine (A)
2. Cytosine (C)
3. Thymine (T)
4. Guanine (G)
 What is DNA made of?
• DNA constantly replicates itself by making
hand-written copies of your body’s
instruction manual using the chunks of
bases that form the words.
 What is DNA made of?
• Arrange themselves to form words in your
instructional manual.
• Hidden every cell is a chemical called DNA
 What is DNA made of?
• DNA is made up of millions of small
chemical called bases.
• Estimated 3 billion bases in a human body.
• 99% are the same; 1% is what makes us
unique
What is DNA made of?
 What are genes?
• Building blocks for your body
• Proteins perform various part of your body
to keep you healthy.
Give instructions to make proteins.
1. Eye color
2. Hair color
3. Height
4. Powering muscles
5. Attacking invading bacteria
Some genes include the instruction of making a protein called
KERATIN
1. Hair and Fingernails
 What are genes?
• Short DNA structure
• 20,000 genes and 3,000,000,000 bases
• Sequence of genes and bases is called
genomes
 Where do Genes come from?
• Inherit from the parents
• Physical features
hair color/ Hair style
Eye pigments
Height
• Genetic conditions
– Inherit illnesses or diseases from the
parents
– Usually runs in the blood
 What are Chromosomes?
• A tightly wound coil of DNA
• Found inside your cell
• 23 pairs of chromosomes in each cell
Genetically Modified Organisms
• Changed/altered using genetic engineering
• Mainly used for research purposes
• Sometimes for food supply