Human Genome Project

Midterms Essay - The Human Genome Project
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October 17, 2022
Our DNA is the basic foundation of the human species, and thanks to it, we can identify our very existence in this world. This intricate network of cells creates our distinctive physical and mental characteristics. The human race can address many issues facing the current generation by understanding how DNA functions, such as inborn diseases that can be treated by altering the DNA. However, due to the delicate and intricate structure of DNA, this type of treatment is not yet available to our generation. However, it is not impossible to do so, and with the evolution of medicine, this type of treatment will soon be accessible to everyone.
The Human Genome Project (HGP), a lengthy project that began in 1990 and was completed in 2003, concentrates on the mystery of human DNA for this reason. So far, they have been the most successful research organization to provide a profound understanding of human DNA. One of the goals of the research was to accurately sequence the 3 billion nucleotide base pairs of the human genome. A secondary goal was to locate and map each human gene that was located in the DNA sequence. Additionally, the Human Genome Project aimed to publicly store all sequencing data obtained in online databases (the number of genes is currently believed to be between 20,000 and 25,000) ("Human Genome Project"). The author of this essay will highlight the connections between social work and biology, or the study of humans, and discuss some of their shared characteristics.
The practice-based profession of social work is described as one that promotes social development, community cohesion, and individual and collective empowerment. Social work practice requires understanding human development, behavior, and social, economic, and cultural systems and relationships ("What Is Social Work?"). With that said, it is similar to the HGP's objective to ensure that people are able to meet their basic needs, even though the HGP does not provide material or physical aid. Instead, it works to advance humankind's understanding of DNA in order to improve people's access to healthcare in the future. The definition of social work is comprehensive; anything that can help people become better off is considered to be social work. Examples include protecting the environment to ensure that residents of a particular area have clean, breathable air or, in the case of HGP, advancing medical technology to ensure that future generations will have access to better healthcare.
The HGP is currently a public-funded organization that also receives support from the Department of Energy, the US National Institutes of Health, and later the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust in the UK provided support and financing for the project, allowing it to be carried out on a massive scale ("Who was involved in the Human Genome Project?"). The flow of information to the public would be slightly affected if the HGP elected to establish their organization as a privately funded one due to the restrictions placed by the private investors who are sponsoring their study. Although the HGP is now a publicly supported organization with assis...