DNA ladder

[goude]

Hello everyone,

I don't know whether this is the correct forum to ask this but is it possible to get a picture my DNA ladder?

Thank you guys

[kmunson779]

I'd suggest checking out Dna 11.

(I have no affiliation with said company)

[goude]

Thank you for your reply kmunson,

I know about this company however I am looking for the DNA ladder itself

I have no idea about biology so I don't know if that possible

I want a picture of my DNA ladder and if possible the elements.

[goude]

How could I find out the specific element of my DNA that makes me different?

I've read that each one of us has a unique element in our DNA and that's what makes us different.

Is it possible to find out which one?

[danfive]

Originally Posted by goude

How could I find out the specific element of my DNA that makes me different?

I've read that each one of us has a unique element in our DNA and that's what makes us different.

Is it possible to find out which one?

Forensic Science has a lot of the microsatellite DNA sequences that correlate to populations, as well as unique identifiers for individuals---so called DNA fingerprint. These microsatellites don't really code for anything, ever, they are called junk DNA, but are capable of mutations--small base changes--without any detrimental effect on the individual. Most of your uniqueness will be in this junk DNA, as well as a few functional genes like those for hair/skin pigment, eye color, etc.

[goude]

In other words it is not possible!!!
Correct?

[danfive]

Originally Posted by goude

In other words it is not possible!!!
Correct?

Getting a microsatellite DNA profile of yourself is possible. That info will only tell you that you correlate to populations that have same microsatellites--like 25% norwegian match, 5% irish or whatever. They serve no function when it comes to telling you that you are predisposed to disease, or high IQ. For that you do genetic screening for specific alleles--like BRCA1. Those are designed to tell you that you are predisposed to something. How do you define uniqueness? Something you can see or something that is there but not expressed?

[goude]

You lost me there my friend

I would define uniqueness something you can see.

Can you please tell me how can I get a microsatellite DNA profile of myself?

Thank you

[danfive]

Originally Posted by goude

You lost me there my friend

I would define uniqueness something you can see.

Can you please tell me how can I get a microsatellite DNA profile of myself?

Thank you

You can internet search for DNA fingerprint services and pick a company that suits you.

[kmunson779]

To give you an idea of the scale we're talking about:

The human genome contains approximately 3 billion base pairs.

The elements that make up these base pairs are restricted to only four kinds, so it's not likely that you have a new kind of base. It's the order in which you find them that makes the difference.

Geneticists estimate that all individual humans' genomes are 99.9% alike. (For comparison, the chimpanzee has about 95% of the same sequence as humans).

There are very few individuals who have had their entire genome sequenced: Craig Venter and James Watson are the only two I know about. Watson's was cheaper, costing only $2 million.

What makes you unique is a combination of many differences, not a single place in your DNA. It's like the game Set, if you've ever played it, that has a deck of cards with symbols on them. There are no two cards that are the same, yet they all have the same features; for example, there are only three colors, so finding two green cards is relatively easy.

The cost of sequencing is coming down all the time; there are prizes available that are motivating companies to develop faster and cheaper technologies. However, there are ethics decisions to be made as well. Have you ever seen the movie Gattaca? The fear is that if we know our entire genome, we'll know what diseases we have genetic risk factors for, and may be restricted in what we're allowed to try because of that, whether we'll be allowed to have children and with whom, etc.

So, it is possible to find out what makes you unique? Yes. It is possible to sequence your entire genome and find the places where you are different from the published consensus sequence. The question is whether it's worth the cost, both in money and time as well as the ethics of handling that information.