Question

Identify the main objective of the Human Genome Project from the following?

• A. Identify and sequence all the genes present in human DNA
• B. Remove disease-causing genes from human DNA
• C. Introduce new genes into the human genome
• D. Design human clones

Answer 1

The correct option is A Identify and sequence all the genes present in human DNA

The Human Genome Project is an international, scientific research project to understand the complete genetic makeup of human beings.

• Its primary objective was to identify and sequence all the genes present in the human genome. They confirmed that the human genome contains approximately 30,000 genes.
• Another objective was to characterise all the genes to their respective characters. This information is used in gene therapy to cure genetic disorders.

It was later established that the entire sequence can be used to remove disease-causing genes from human DNA, however it was not the main objective of the program.

Introducing new genes into the human genome and designing human clones still remain debatable as these might not be ethical.