Video Transcript
Why might a person want to have their genome sequenced? (A) To identify any disease-causing genes present in their genome. (B) To change or remove some of their genes. (C) To improve their chances of finding a mate. Or (D) to prevent themselves from inheriting any harmful genes.
You might remember learning that a genome is the total genetic information of an
organism. In order to answer this question, we need to recall what genome sequencing means.
A genome is sequenced to figure out the order of the DNA bases — A, T, G, and C —
that make up the sequence. As we know, every human being is unique. So you might be surprised to know that humans share 99.9 percent genetic similarity
with one another. It is only the remaining 0.01 percent of the genome that controls the differences
that we see between individuals.
In some cases, the sequence of the genome may have errors called mutations. You can imagine these mutations to be like spelling mistakes in a sentence. Here, we can see a hypothetical example of a mutation in a sequence of DNA. These mutations can sometimes cause genetic disorders. For example, a mutation in a gene called CFTR can cause a disease called cystic
fibrosis.
Let’s look back at our question. We’re being asked why a person might want to know the sequence of their genome. Well, if a person’s genome carries disease-causing mutations, figuring out their
genome sequence would help find these mutations. This could provide valuable information for the identification and treatment of
genetic disorders.
The correct answer to this question is therefore (A), to identify any disease-causing
genes present in their genome.
