(August 2005) DNA is the genetic code of life, a sort of molecular instruction manual that is passed on from mother to daughter cell. This set of instructions is read by the cell and translated into proteins, which perform specific functions within the cell. The DNA molecule itself is made up of a linear sequence of four deoxyribo-nucleotides: adenine (A), guanine (G), cysteine (C) and thymine (T), which form the alphabet of genetic information. The sequence of this linear code leads to the synthesis of proteins through the cellular processes of transcription and translation. To give you a general picture…

Things will be a lot different when we are older. Perhaps when your grandchild is born, right after they snip the umbilical cord, they will sequence their genome. Immediately, some computer will pick out genetic markers for specific disease states, and maybe a doctor (possibly some gene-ologist of sorts) will do a little bit of gene therapy to prevent the more serious diseases from developing. Perhaps for those really wealthy parents, a few more options may open for tweaking. If you don’t like the hair colour your child’s genes code for, just check the appropriate box and they can take…

DNA is the genetic code of life – a sort of molecular instruction manual that is passed on from mother to daughter cell. This set of instructions is read by the cell and translated into proteins, which perform specific functions within the cell. The DNA molecule itself is made up of a linear sequence of four deoxyribo-nucleotides: adenine (A), guanine (G), cysteine (C) and thymine (T), which in turn form the alphabet of genetic information. The sequence of this linear code leads to the synthesis of proteins through the cellular processes of transcription and translation. To give you a general…