Question

What does the abbreviation HGP stand for?

Answer 1

Hint: In 1990, the US government initiated the largest known biological project in Human history to decode the code of life. This project was completed on April 14th, 2003, and was known as HGP.

Complete answer: The abbreviation HGP stands for the Human Genome Project. It is considered one of the world’s largest collaborative biological projects. It cost around 1 billion dollars at that time. In 1984, the US government came up with the idea of decoding the whole sequence of the human genome. The human genome consists of the complete nucleotide sequences present in pairs of 23 chromosomes in the nucleus of human cells. These nucleic acid sequences are encoded as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). The small DNA segment of the mitochondrial genome is also part of the complete human genome.

In 1990 scientists all over the world united to initiate this scientific research project with the target of determining the base pairs that make up the human genome. The funding for this huge project came from NIH or the National Institutes of Health majorly. Research centers in the US, UK, China, Germany, France, and Japan performed the major government-sponsored sequencing. The original aim of HGP was to map the nucleotides contained in the haploid genome of humans that is present in germ cells like sperm and egg. The haploid genome of humans contains more than 3 billion nucleotides and in the diploid genome, the number of nucleotides is double. The HGP set an important milestone in the history of Biology. It opened thousands of study topics and carriers. The map of the whole genome was studied intensely and the genes were discovered. The genes were then studied for their functions and boosted research for treatments for genetically inherited diseases.

Note: The samples collected for sequencing purposes in HGP were collected from different individuals. Each individual differs from the other because of their genetic variations. Although the variations are very minor they cause major phenotypic changes. Therefore, the finished result of HGP is mosaic and cannot represent one individual.