...acid--DNA short--is called the Human Genome Project. It is the basis for understanding the blueprint that directs our external appearance, such as hair and eye color, skin color, sex, height, and behavior, as well as the quality of our internal organs.

This special issue of FDA Consumer presents the Food and Drug Administration's response to several of these emerging technologies as they relate to the discovery of and the safety assessment of the food, drugs, biologics, and medical devices it regulates.

The gene is a unit or segment of the DNA that contains the information for a protein, which is a building block or a catalyst in each of our cells. The complete DNA content of our cells, called the human genome, contains many such segments or genes. A gene or set of genes are expressed, that is, function, when there is a need for the building blocks to sustain the life of the organism. In this way, the genome contains the architectural blueprint that dictates each individual's makeup.

The '-Omics' Defined

Humans develop from a single fertilized egg to become a multicellular organism made up of a variety of organs and tissues. The DNA of the human genome...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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