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The code of human life is DNA. We share most of our DNA with the animal kingdom. But what makes us different? Modern research has shown that chimpanzees and humans share 96% of it. We even share 50% of our DNA with bananas! What we have now discovered is that every living creature has its own unique way of using the information that they have. Let us look into what DNA really is. It is a molecule made up of chemical structures called bases. Those bases form the code. The code looks like A, T, C and G. Some parts of the DNA code for protein. Proteins are the molecules that form the basis of most functions in the body, be it hormones, muscle structure or enzymes. The protein coding parts of the DNA are known as genes. The non-coding parts of DNA were thought to be ‘Junk DNA’. Scientists did not understand the function of those regions. But nature does not waste and now it is discovered that even the ‘junk DNA’ has a purpose, which is to turn the genes ‘on’ or ‘off’. This means that not all genes are on in every cell of the body, allowing your body to specialize. Your brain is very different from your liver. This is the effect of certain genes being switched on in the brain, whereas the liver would have a separate set of genes turned on. This complexity is the reason why we are so different from chimpanzees and bananas. There are slight differences even within genes. These are due to mutations that occur in DNA. The mutations could be due to copying errors when our cells divide and DNA is replicated or due to the environment e.g. being exposed to radiation. These mutations are the reasons why the human race is so diverse. Previously reading (sequencing) the whole human DNA (Genome) would be exorbitantly expensive. In 2003 when the first human genome was read, it cost 3 billion dollars. But now in 2015 it costs as little as a thousand dollars. The drop in sequencing allows us to introduce genetics into medical diagnoses and healthcare. Personalized medicine would allow us to make medicine that works effectively for you as an individual based on your unique genetic profile. Apart from healthcare, genetics can also be used to inform our lifestyle decisions in nutrition and fitness. People differ in the way they break down carbohydrates and fats. This causes certain people to have a tendency to be overweight. Dieticians can make custom meal plans based on their clients unique dietary needs by analyzing the specific genes that code for their fat and carbohydrate metabolism. In fitness certain people are better at sprinting, others at marathons. This is due to differences in the balance between fast twitch muscles and slow twitch. Gene-based recommended training is now being introduced into different sports such as American football, rugby and iron man competitions. It can now be predicted which people are more prone to ligament injury, have a quicker muscle recovery time and are high in stamina. All of these insights can lead to better coaching. In the future, as we gather more genetic information about our body and use that knowledge in our day to day activities, it becomes important that an ethical approach guides us. The data should be strictly confidential and only be accessible upon the customer’s demand. Furthermore, genetics is only part of the picture and should never be used as a form of discrimination. “At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche