This is possible thanks to the information in DNA.Your hair and every cell in your body contains your own unique DNA. It can tell you a lot about your family,health and personality.
DNA was discovered by a German scientist,Friedrich Miescher,in 1869,but nobody realized its importance then.Other scientists thought that it was too simple to contain the map of how we are made!In 1953 a group of British scientists at Cambridge University finally discovered the structure of DNA and how it worked. They were given the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1962.
Gradually,scientists learned to ’read’ more and more of the information in DNA.In 1986,for the first time DNA testing was used by the police.Some DNA is usually left by a criminal at the place where the crime was committed.This can be matched with DNA from a suspect.The test shows if the suspect is guilty.In 1990 The Human Genome Project was begun.Scientists wanted to make a map of the 3 billion chemical letters in human DNA.Over 1000 scientists all over the world worked ont he project,and it took 10 years.With this information,it is possible that a cure for many diseases will be found in the future. But it also brings with it many questions.Do we want to be able to choose what our babies will look like,or pick the best person for a job with DNA tests?
Questions.
1,Who made the discovery?
2,Who was the scientist?
3,How long did it take to develop?
4,What happened in 1953?
5,What happened in 1962?
6,Were there any problems in the beginning?
7,What happened in 1986?
8,How useful is the discovery now?
9,What did a lot of scientists do in 1990?
10,What could happen with it in the future?