ABSTRACT

The Human Genome Project is a major international undertaking utilizing the expertise of many scientific disciplines. The hope is that information gained through this project will aid in research. Genetic research may provide clues to questions such as, how do cells become different from one another in early embryonic life? What controls cell aging and reproduction? and Just how do humans fit in the evolutionary ladder? Answers to these questions and others will help us better understand ourselves and our relationships to other life with which we share the earth. Hopefully they will also provide answers about the origin of common diseases such as cancer and mental illness.