DNA Day celebrated in the United States on April 25 is a holiday to mark the discovery and importance of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It was on this day that James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin came up with papers containing the structure of DNA in the journal Nature. DNA is a molecule that contains our genetic code and holds instruction for making all the proteins in our bodies. It consists of 4 bases – Adenine(A), Cytosine(C), Guanine(G), Thymine(T). It is the order of these four sequences that decide the instructions in the genome. The rungs of DNA ladder formed by pairing of strands give it a double helix structure. It is believed the DNA is a powerful tool for life and its processes.

The DNA Day was celebrated first on April 25, 2003, after a proclamation by both the senate and house of representatives. It was a one-time holiday, but it became an annual celebration due to the efforts by the National Human Genome Research Institute. On DNA DAY, we take a look at some of the interesting facts surrounding this biological gem.

  • Each human being shares 99.9 % of his DNA with other human but with 0.001 percent variation in each person’s DNA. It is this difference that contributes to differences in health and appearances.

  • DNA is highly fragile, and about a thousand times a day, something happens to it that cause errors. There are repair mechanisms in place, but some damage could be long-lasting.

  • It is believed 5-8 % of our DNA comes from retroviruses and the count could be a staggering 100,000 pieces of DNA.

  • If we ever knitted our entire DNA, then it is expected to stretch six billion miles. It is same as travelling to sun from earth 65 times.

  • Identical twins share the same genetic code which develops differences over time due to exposure to a different environment.

  • A single gram of DNA is able to store 700 terabytes of data which is more than the capability of several computers.

DNA Day is observed by biologists, science teachers and students, anyone interested in genetics. The day celebrates the discovery and understanding of DNA and the scientific advances that understanding has made possible.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 25, 2020 08:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).