Scientists Have Finally Mapped the Entire Human Genome

A job well begun is half done, according to Aristotle. The Human Genome Project, which announced its final release in 2003, was certainly a solid start in surveying our hereditary instructions — and well over half finished. Researchers mapped 92 percent of a sample human genome, representing nearly 3 billion base pairs. It established a blueprint for nearly 20 years of research by allowing other teams to highlight variations in genomes between humans. This work has since expanded to other animals, along with plants and even microbes.