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Resource - Chromosome Viewer (www.teachersdomain.org)

Inside every one of our cells (except red blood cells) is a nucleus containing 23 pairs of
chromosomes. These chromosomes are built from long strands of a ladder-shaped molecule called
deoxyribonucleic acid (D!). The D! molecule" in turn" is made up of many smaller
components. These nucleotides" or bases" pair up to form the rungs of the D! ladder. !lthough
there are only four different types of nucleotides in D! (usually referred to by the first letter of
their chemical name" !" T" #" and $)" these molecules" repeated 3 billion times in the human
genome" carry the instructions re%uired to build our bodies and regulate our functions.
&sually" nucleotides are not particularly meaningful on their o'n. #ombined" ho'ever" specific
se%uences of nucleotides -- !TTT#$(" for example -- spell out the genetic instructions for
building proteins. ! gene is one such se%uence" one section of a chromosome that provides the
code that influences a trait -- li)e eye color" for instance. (*cientists believe that three or more
genes interact to determine a person+s eye color.)
,ocating genes that influence specific physical traits among the 3 billion nucleotides in the
human genome is a notoriously difficult tas). To find genes" researchers often try to correlate
physical differences 'ith genetic differences. $enetic diseases are often caused by stri)ing
genetic differences" so one method gene hunters use is to compare the D! of people 'ho have a
disorder 'ith those 'ho do not. -hen a scientist finds differences in D! se%uences bet'een
these groups" they have a clue to one possible culprit in the disease. .ther methods are used to
identify genes not implicated in disease. They include computational methods such as comparing
human D! se%uences to those in animals that have been 'ell studied and in 'hich many genes
have been identified. #urrent estimates of human genes are about 3/"///-0/"///" but the
functions of the vast ma1ority of these remain un)no'n.
Questions for Discussion
2. .n 'hich chromosome 'ould you find3 Tay-*achs disease4 *ic)le cell anemia4 5llis-van
#reveld syndrome4 6untington+s disease4
2. ame 7 diseases" 'hich are found on the 8 chromosome. 6o' 'ould their pattern of
inheritance differ from diseases found on autosomal chromosomes (non-sex chromosomes)4
3. .n 'hich chromosome is the ##97 gene found4 (6int3 &se your #:I 'or)sheet.) -hat is
the ##97 gene called in the chromosome vie'er4 ame the 7 genes located ;belo'< the ##97
gene on the chromosome.