Comparative Genomics

• “Compares” genomes of different animals, bacteria, viruses etc..

• We are all connected by our genes no matter how distantly!

• Our genetic code and size can be very different!

What genomes have been sequenced?

• Mouse: 2002

• Human: Human Genome Project – 2003

• Rat: 2004

• Chimp: 2005

• Bee: 2006

How do we compare genomes?

• Alignment
• We ALIGN them by arranging them beside each other to look at similar sections

Why do we want to compare genomes?

• Look for relationships between species
• Investigate the funcntions of genes
• Find genes that allow animals to adapt to their environment
• The amount of similarity of our genomes differs between species

We can represent the relationships between species using phylogenetic trees

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