The Human Genographic

Project

Presentation By: Daniel Zirkel,

Leila Beheshti and Nicole Scagliola

Lab Performed By:

Chris Seiter,

Lindsay Cafiero, &

Jerry Kim

The Human Genographic ProjectThe Human Genographic Project

What? Why?

How?

About The Human Genographic About The Human Genographic ProjectProject

What? Why?

How?

WHAT?

By: Leila Beheshti

About The Human Genographic About The Human Genographic ProjectProject

The Genographic Project is a research The Genographic Project is a research partnership led by Dr. Spencer Wells, a partnership led by Dr. Spencer Wells, a National Geographic Explorer. National Geographic Explorer. International scientists, IBM researchers International scientists, IBM researchers and Dr. Wells are using patterns of DNA and Dr. Wells are using patterns of DNA around the world to understand genetic around the world to understand genetic roots.roots.

About The Human Genographic About The Human Genographic ProjectProject

Scientists guess that all humans are Scientists guess that all humans are descended from African ancestors who descended from African ancestors who then migrated to other parts of the world. then migrated to other parts of the world. They use advanced computer analysis to They use advanced computer analysis to track where the ancestors migrated.track where the ancestors migrated.

What Does It Do?What Does It Do?

The program collects data from indigenous The program collects data from indigenous tribes, collects data from people worldwide tribes, collects data from people worldwide through their participation kits, and to use through their participation kits, and to use the money made from the kits to further the money made from the kits to further investigate the genetics.investigate the genetics.

Applications?Applications? Using the DNA collected, the Using the DNA collected, the

scientists can map out where scientists can map out where everybody migrated from, everybody migrated from, migrated to, how they got there migrated to, how they got there and how they got to live how they and how they got to live how they are today. This is because the are today. This is because the indigenous tribes have isolated indigenous tribes have isolated DNA so people with distinct DNA so people with distinct markers in their DNA can be markers in their DNA can be tracked. Finding these results is tracked. Finding these results is perhaps the best way to learn perhaps the best way to learn about our history.about our history.

The COLD HARD Facts!The COLD HARD Facts!

Participants remain anonymous and the Participants remain anonymous and the program is non-medical. It is also non program is non-medical. It is also non profit, so all proceeds will go to further profit, so all proceeds will go to further research and to the Legacy Fund. This research and to the Legacy Fund. This will help the conservation of the will help the conservation of the indigenous tribes because they are indigenous tribes because they are dwindling away because of the shrinking dwindling away because of the shrinking world and loss of culture.world and loss of culture.

How Do They Do It?How Do They Do It?(Genetics Overview)(Genetics Overview)

H WBy: Daniel Zirkel

DNA

• DNA is an acronym for Deoxyribonucleic Acid

• A single strand of DNA is made of approximately 3 billion rungs

• 3 main parts:

• nitrogenous bases

• deoxyribose residue

• phosphoric acid residue

Nitrogenous Bases:

1. Adenine

2. Guanine

3. Cytosine

4. Thymine

•Adenine always pairs w/ Thymine

•Cytosine always pairs w/ Guanine

• Rungs are always connected to Phosphoric Acid

•The Deoxyribose Residue connects these Phosphoric Acid links

Biology 101

Applications?Applications?

DNA is the code for life and is located in the DNA is the code for life and is located in the nucleus of every cell of an organism.nucleus of every cell of an organism.

The arrangement of the nitrogenous bases The arrangement of the nitrogenous bases determines every characteristic of that organism.determines every characteristic of that organism.

DNA molecules are shaped like a twisting ladder DNA molecules are shaped like a twisting ladder or double-helix, and some segments of the or double-helix, and some segments of the nitrogenous bases constitute individual genes.nitrogenous bases constitute individual genes.

Genes determine which proteins individual cells Genes determine which proteins individual cells will produce and thus what function each will produce and thus what function each particular cell will perform.particular cell will perform.

How?: The AnswerHow?: The Answer For most of our genome we receive half of our

genes from our father and half from our mother. Each half represents a shuffled combination of DNA passed down to us from our ancestors. This recombination process makes it difficult to study lines of descent and creates a genetic mix of everyone who has come before. What’s fortunate however, is that there are parts of the genome passed down unchanged from parent to child. In these segments the genetic code is varied only through occasional mutations - random spelling mistakes in the long sequence of letters that make up our DNA. When these mutations are passed down through the generations they become markers of descent.

How?: The AnswerHow?: The Answer For most of our genome we receive half of our

genes from our father and half from our mother. Each half represents a shuffled combination of DNA passed down to us from our ancestors. This recombination process makes it difficult to study lines of descent and creates a genetic mix of everyone who has come before. What’s fortunate however, is that there are parts of the genome passed down unchanged from parent to child. In these segments the genetic code is varied only through occasional mutations - random spelling mistakes in the long sequence of letters that make up our DNA. When these mutations are passed down through the generations they become markers of descent.

MutationsMutations

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/lan/en/population.html

Migratory PatternsMigratory Patterns

By tracing your line of By tracing your line of ancestral descent through ancestral descent through these mutations the Human these mutations the Human Genographic Project can Genographic Project can pinpoint exactly where your pinpoint exactly where your family came from and how it family came from and how it got to where it is now and/or got to where it is now and/or was at a certain point in was at a certain point in time.time.

WHY?WHY?

By: Nicole Scagliola

Why Do They Do It?Why Do They Do It?

The purpose of this project is to collect The purpose of this project is to collect 100,000’s of DNA samples from people all over 100,000’s of DNA samples from people all over the world belonging to different cultures in order the world belonging to different cultures in order to figure out the full story of human history. to figure out the full story of human history.

They aim to discover how exactly did we migrate They aim to discover how exactly did we migrate and populate the world. and populate the world.

Scientists plan to map out the patterns of Scientists plan to map out the patterns of migrations to better understand the connections migrations to better understand the connections and differences that make up humankind. and differences that make up humankind.

How Does It Help Us?How Does It Help Us? Other questions such as: What Other questions such as: What

impact has culture had on human impact has culture had on human genetic variation?genetic variation?

How have cultural practices affected How have cultural practices affected our patterns of genetic diversity? our patterns of genetic diversity?

Or if we share a recent common Or if we share a recent common ancestry, why do we look different ancestry, why do we look different from each other?from each other?

By answering these questions, the By answering these questions, the end result will basically put together end result will basically put together the puzzle of the past.the puzzle of the past.

(cont’d)(cont’d)

The answers to these questions are found The answers to these questions are found clearly written on our genes but in the 21st clearly written on our genes but in the 21st Century where populations are mixing at a fast Century where populations are mixing at a fast rate, the number of distinct languages and rate, the number of distinct languages and cultures are dwindling. cultures are dwindling.

By using genetic markers or unchanged By using genetic markers or unchanged segments of DNA passed on from generation to segments of DNA passed on from generation to generation found on these samples, scientists generation found on these samples, scientists are able to preserve these distinctions creating a are able to preserve these distinctions creating a legacy of human history.legacy of human history.

Donators also benefit from this experiment Donators also benefit from this experiment as well. as well.

Along with supporting this project people Along with supporting this project people will also get to discover more about where will also get to discover more about where they truly originated from.they truly originated from.

Participants have the opportunity to learn Participants have the opportunity to learn about their ancestors and their journeys.about their ancestors and their journeys.

They can also reveal facts about their They can also reveal facts about their unknown nationalities or relativesunknown nationalities or relatives

(cont’d)(cont’d)

The Human Genographic

Project

Presentation By: Daniel Zirkel,

Leila Beheshti and Nicole Scagliola

Thanks For Watching…

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