The human genome is the collective name for all of the genes in the human body. The genome is coded in a molecule called DNA. The structure of DNA was first described in 1953, and it is built from four different nucleotide bases arranged in a linear string. The bases themselves are: adenosine (a), guanine (g), cytosine (c) and thymine (t). Every cell in the human body contains a copy of the genome, a DNA blueprint which specifies how the cell was built, how it will function and how it might divide to produce a new, daughter cell. For example, the DNA sequence:

        1 ctcgaggggc ctagacattg ccctccagag agagcaccca acaccctcca ggcttgaccg
       61 gccagggtgt ccccttccta ccttggagag agcagcccca gggcatcctg cagggggtgc
      121 tgggacacca gctggccttc aaggtctctg cctccctcca gccaccccac tacacgctgc
      181 tgggatcctg gatctcagct ccctggccga caacactggc aaactcctac tcatccacga
      241 aggccctcct gggcatggtg gtccttccca gcctggcagt ctgttcctca cacaccttgt
      301 tagtgcccag cccctgaggt tgcagctggg ggtgtctctg aagggctgtg agcccccagg
      361 aagccctggg gaagtgcctg ccttgcctcc ccccggccct gccagcgcct ggctctgccc
      421 tcctacctgg gctcccccca tccagcctcc ctccctacac actcctctca aggaggcacc
      481 catgtcctct ccagctgccg ggcctcagag cactgtggcg tcctggggca gccaccgcat
      541 gtcctgctgt ggcatggctc agggtggaaa gggcggaagg gaggggtcct gcagatagct
      601 ggtgcccact accaaacccg ctcggggcag gagagccaaa ggctgggtgt gtgcagagcg
      661 gccccgagag gttccgaggc tgaggccagg gtgggacata gggatgcgag gggccggggc
      721 acaggatact ccaacctgcc tgcccccatg gtctcatcct cctgcttctg ggacctcctg
      781 atcctgcccc tggtgctaag aggcaggtaa ggggctgcag gcagcagggc tcggagccca
      841 tgccccctca ccatgggtca ggctggacct ccaggtgcct gttctgggga gctgggaggg
      901 ccggaggggt gtaccccagg ggctcagccc agatgacact atgggggtga tggtgtcatg
      961 ggacctggcc aggagagggg agatgggctc ccagaagagg agtgggggct gagagggtgc
     1021 ctggggggcc aggacggagc tgggccagtg cacagcttcc cacacctgcc cacccccaga
     1081 gtcctgccgc cacccccaga tcacacggaa gatgaggtcc gagtggcctg ctgaggactt
     1141 gctgcttgtc cccaggtccc caggtcatgc cctccttctg ccaccctggg gagctgaggg
     1201 cctcagctgg ggctgctgtc ctaaggcagg gtgggaacta ggcagccagc agggagggga
     1261 cccctccctc actcccactc tcccaccccc accaccttgg cccatccatg gcggcatctt
     1321 gggccatccg ggactgggga caggggtcct ggggacaggg gtccggggac agggtcctgg
     1381 ggacaggggt gtggggacag gggtctgggg acaggggtgt ggggacaggg gtgtggggac
     1441 aggggtctgg ggacaggggt gtggggacag gggtccgggg acaggggtgt ggggacaggg
     1501 gtctggggac aggggtgtgg ggacaggggt gtggggacag gggtctgggg acaggggtgt
     1561 ggggacaggg gtcctgggga caggggtgtg gggacagggg tgtggggaca ggggtgtggg
     1621 gacaggggtg tggggacagg ggtcctgggg ataggggtgt ggggacaggg gtgtggggac
     1681 aggggtcccg gggacagggg tgtggggaca ggggtgtggg gacaggggtc ctggggacag
     1741 gggtctgagg acaggggtgt gggcacaggg gtcctgggga caggggtcct ggggacaggg
     1801 gtcctgggga caggggtctg gggacagcag cgcaaagagc cccgccctgc agcctccagc
     1861 tctcctggtc taatgtggaa agtggcccag gtgagggctt tgctctcctg gagacatttg
     1921 cccccagctg tgagcaggga caggtctggc caccgggccc ctggttaaga ctctaatgac
     1981 ccgctggtcc tgaggaagag gtgctgacga ccaaggagat cttcccacag acccagcacc
     2041 agggaaatgg tccggaaatt gcagcctcag cccccagcca tctgccgacc cccccacccc
     2101 gccctaatgg gccaggcggc aggggttgac aggtagggga gatgggctct gagactataa
     2161 agccagcggg ggcccagcag ccctcagccc tccaggacag gctgcatcag aagaggccat
     2221 caagcaggtc tgttccaagg gcctttgcgt caggtgggct cagggttcca gggtggctgg
     2281 accccaggcc ccagctctgc agcagggagg acgtggctgg gctcgtgaag catgtggggg
     2341 tgagcccagg ggccccaagg cagggcacct ggccttcagc ctgcctcagc cctgcctgtc
     2401 tcccagatca ctgtccttct gccatggccc tgtggatgcg cctcctgccc ctgctggcgc
     2461 tgctggccct ctggggacct gacccagccg cagcctttgt gaaccaacac ctgtgcggct
     2521 cacacctggt ggaagctctc tacctagtgt gcggggaacg aggcttcttc tacacaccca
     2581 agacccgccg ggaggcagag gacctgcagg gtgagccaac cgcccattgc tgcccctggc
     2641 cgcccccagc caccccctgc tcctggcgct cccacccagc atgggcagaa gggggcagga
      2701 ggctgccacc cagcaggggg tcaggtgcac ttttttaaaa agaagttctc ttggtcacgt
     2761 cctaaaagtg accagctccc tgtggcccag tcagaatctc agcctgagga cggtgttggc
     2821 ttcggcagcc ccgagataca tcagagggtg ggcacgctcc tccctccact cgcccctcaa
     2881 acaaatgccc cgcagcccat ttctccaccc tcatttgatg accgcagatt caagtgtttt
     2941 gttaagtaaa gtcctgggtg acctggggtc acagggtgcc ccacgctgcc tgcctctggg
     3001 cgaacacccc atcacgcccg gaggagggcg tggctgcctg cctgagtggg ccagacccct
     3061 gtcgccagcc tcacggcagc tccatagtca ggagatgggg aagatgctgg ggacaggccc
     3121 tggggagaag tactgggatc acctgttcag gctcccactg tgacgctgcc ccggggcggg
     3181 ggaaggaggt gggacatgtg ggcgttgggg cctgtaggtc cacacccagt gtgggtgacc
     3241 ctccctctaa cctgggtcca gcccggctgg agatgggtgg gagtgcgacc tagggctggc
     3301 gggcaggcgg gcactgtgtc tccctgactg tgtcctcctg tgtccctctg cctcgccgct
     3361 gttccggaac ctgctctgcg cggcacgtcc tggcagtggg gcaggtggag ctgggcgggg
     3421 gccctggtgc aggcagcctg cagcccttgg ccctggaggg gtccctgcag aagcgtggca
     3481 ttgtggaaca atgctgtacc agcatctgct ccctctacca gctggagaac tactgcaact
     3541 agacgcagcc tgcaggcagc cccacacccg ccgcctcctg caccgagaga gatggaataa
     3601 agcccttgaa ccagccctgc tgtgccgtct gtgtgtcttg ggggccctgg gccaagcccc
     3661 acttcccggc actgttgtga gcccctccca gctctctcca cgctctctgg gtgcccacag
     3721 gtgccaacgc caggcaggcc cagcatgcag tggctctccc caaagcggcc atgcctgttg
     3781 gctgcctgct gcccccaccc tgtggctcag ggtccagtat gggagcttcg ggggtctctg
     3841 aggggccagg gatggtgggg ccactgagaa gtgactctgt cagtagccga cctggagtcc
     3901 ccagagacct tgttcaggaa agggaatgag aacattccag caattttccc cccacctagc
     3961 cctcccaggt tctattttta gagttatttc tgatggagtc cctgtggagg gaggaggctg
     4021 ggctgaggga gggggtcctg cagggcgggg ggctgggaag gtggggagag gctgccgaga
     4081 gccacccgct atccccagct ctgggcagcc ccgggacagt cacacaccct ggcctcgcgg
     4141 cccaagctgg cagccgtctg cagccacagc ttatgccagc ccaggtccag ccagacacct
     4201 gagggaccca ctggtgcctt ggaggaagca ggagaggtca gatggcacca tgagctgggg
     4261 caggtgcagg gaccgtggca gcacctggca gggcctcaga acccatgcct tgggcacccc
     4321 ggccatgagg ccctgaggat tgcagcccaa gagaagcagg gaacgccagg gccacagggg
     4381 cagagaccag gccagggtcc cttgcggccc ttagcccacc ccctcccagt aagcaggggc
     4441 tgcttggcta ggcttccttt tgctacagac ctgctgctca cccagaggcc cacgggccct
     4501 agtgacaagg tcgttgtggc tccaggtcct tgggggtcct gacacagagc ctcttctgca
     4561 gcacccctga ggacagggtg ctccgctggg cacccagcct agtgggcaga cgagaaccta
     4621 ggggctgcct gggcctactg tggcctggga ggtcagcggg tgaccctagc taccctgtgg
     4681 ctgggccagt ctgcctgcca cccaggccaa accaatctgc acctttcctg agagctccac
     4741 ccagggctgg gctggggatg gctgggcctg gggctggcat gggctgtggc tgcagaccac
     4801 tgccagcttg ggcctcgagg ccaggagctc accctccagc tgccccgcct ccagagtggg
     4861 ggccagggct gggcaggcgg gtggacggcc ggacactggc cccggaagag gagggaggcg
     4921 gtggctggga tcggcagcag ccgtccatgg gaacacccag ccggccccac tcgcacgggt
     4981 agagacaggc gc

is a fragment of the blueprint for insulin. When a cell activates this DNA sequence it can make insulin and secrete it into the bloodstream.

We understand the basic principles of the code: we know the code for the start (ATG) and finish (TAA, TGA or TAG) of a protein like insulin, and how the DNA sequence is translated into protein sequence. We are only beginning to understand the codes for when a DNA sequence is activated, and how it is activated. Many of the genes encoding important functions in our bodies wont even be discovered until the human genome is completely sequenced. Our genes still hold many secrets. With training as both mathematicians and biologists, students who study Bioinformatics will have the chance to unlock these secrets.

Created 3rd August, 1997