There are forty-six chromosomes in the human body- about three billion base pairs worth of DNA. These extremely long molecules make up what is known as the human genome - the genetic code for perhaps as many as 100,000 complex genes. To make a map of this information, in other words to discern the exact location of every gene and find the base-pair sequences that creates it, would be a great scientific feat. Simply considering its potential impact on the field of medicine the effects of having such a map could be revolutionary. People could be tested for certain gene related diseases early enough to make necessary lifestyle changes or perhaps, when the technology becomes sophisticated enough, receive some sort of treatment or cure. The creation of such a map is an incredible undertaking, though, with an estimated price tag of billions of dollars and countless man-hours. The benefits outweigh the costs, however, and so scientists around the world are racing to help map the human genome.

In the United States the two major federal agencies working on the project are the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. The Department of Energy is interested in finding exact DNA sequences while the NIH prefers to research anything about disease related genes.

No project this large can be without controversy, and this is definitely no exception. Many feel that our money could be better spent elsewhere concentrating on treatment for specific diseases. Others, though, believe that the human genome project is the best possible expenditure of research dollars. A coordinated effort will protect scientists from doing duplicate work and will hasten the progress towards a full map and, therefore, the vast health benefits that one would bring.

Types of Maps
There are two basic varieties of genome maps- genetic and physical. Genetic, or linkage, maps are the kind that Morgan once used in his study of the Drosophila fly. They are used to find the position of a gene in relation to another gene or a marker (like an RFLP, mentioned in the DNA typing section). The information in a genetic map is relative, then, not absolute. In other words, using such a map a scientist can tell you how far one gene is from another, but not where the gene is located exactly on the DNA molecule. Physical maps, on the other hand, are actual lists of the base pairs. This variety of map will show exact positions of genes and can tell a skilled observer how many base pairs separate two markers. The final product of the human genome project will be a complete physical map.

Patenting Life
In the United States the Patent and Trademark Office allows inventors to protect their inventions. The inventor of the sewing machine, for example, was able to obtain a patent for his creation so that for seventeen years he could have complete control of the idea. He could sell his product, charge a fee to others who want to market it, or, if he desired, he could keep it a secret. Today genetic engineers obtain patents for their work as well. When a new strain of crop is created or perhaps a beneficial bacteria is engineered, the scientists who made the changes to the organism receive legal rights to it. When it comes to patenting animals, though, there is more controversy. Animal rights activists and religious organizations don't think that man has the right to own and change life in this way. Farmers worry that widespread patenting of livestock will cut into their profits. Supporters of the patent system, though, feel that once people become more used to the idea this method will provide the same benefits to raising animals as it did to growing engineered crops. The Human Genome Project takes this issue a step further and asks the question, "Should anyone be allowed to patent a human gene?" It is the patent system that protects the investment of the researcher and thereby motivates more people to get into the field, but at the same time it keeps scientists from wanting to share their data. Also, many feel that it's just ethically wrong to 'own' a human gene. These are just a few of the questions that we will be forced to deal with in the near future as our technical capabilities continue to progress.