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How to sequence the human genome - Mark J. Kiel

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Your genome, every human's genome, consists of a unique DNA sequence of A's, T's, C's and G's that tell your cells how to operate. Thanks to technological advances, scientists are now able to know the sequence of letters that makes up an individual genome relatively quickly and inexpensively. Mark J. Kiel takes an in-depth look at the science behind the sequence.

If there are 3 billion letters in the reference genome, how much did it cost per letter to sequence the first human genome?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Mark J. Kiel
  • Animator Marc Christoforidis
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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