Genetic Science

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz determined that only about 1.5 to 7 percent of the modern human genome is unique to humans. The rest we share with our relatives the Neanderthals and the Denisovans.

By Joanna Thompson

We are who we are because of the genes our parents pass to us, but what happens when both parents contribute the same version of a specific gene?

By Jesslyn Shields

It's one of those words that might remind you of certain gender-bending musicians from the '80s, but what does it mean today?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

With cemetery space at a premium and the increasingly evident environmental drawbacks to traditional burial, what better way to memorialize your beloved pet, or a beloved person, than to turn their remains into a tree?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Epigenetics – instructions on how your genes are read and whether they are expressed or not – proves that your body is not permanently set on a specific course from the moment you're born.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

You probably feel like you have very little in common with that banana lying on your kitchen counter. But science says you do! So, how is this possible? And is that stat accurate? We talk to the scientist who did the research.

By Alia Hoyt

DNA websites can give you info about your ancestry and possible health issues. They can also give you trait reports about taste preferences and personal habits. But how much of that is really DNA-driven?

By Alia Hoyt

At least not in nature. Scientists have discovered the two gene families that play key roles in making fruits and vegetables either round or long. Could a square fruit be on the horizon?

By Dave Roos

Cell division can be confusing, but it's not as difficult if you pretend chromosomes are sentences.

By Jesslyn Shields

Humans are a diverse lot. We can look distinctively different. But is that because of race or ethnicity?

By John Donovan

Nearly every living cell is made of DNA, and every chromosome contains exactly one molecule of DNA. But not all cells are made of the same number of chromosomes.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Before the widespread use of DNA, establishing the paternity of a child was a tricky business. Ever heard of the oscillophore?

By Dave Roos

It's easy to equate "Caucasian" with "white." But that one word — Caucasian — touches on issues much deeper than skin color.

By John Donovan

Does everyone have a double out there somewhere that they don't know about? Science says the odds are pretty slim.

By Alia Hoyt

The study found no long-lasting differences in the DNA of the two Kelly brothers after one year space.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Scientists are banking frozen DNA in the hope of saving endangered animals in the future.

By Jesslyn Shields

From solving a mystery to clearing up issues of paternity, exhuming a corpse can provide answers.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

North Americans have been moving south for tens of thousands of years.

By Chris Opfer

Superhuman powers are rare, but some do exist. But what if scientists used gene manipulation to create humans with super strength and abilities in the future — like super soldiers?

By Diana Brown

Composites from DNA in cold cases is helping investigators make predictions about the appearance of both suspects and victims in hopes of generating leads.

By Patrick J. Kiger

What happens when twins are reunited decades later? And how in the world can you explain separated twins giving their firstborn son or their family dog the same exact name?

By John Donovan

A NASA study of astronaut Scott Kelly showed that spending time in space altered the expression of some of his genes. But does being on a mountain cause similar effects?

By Patrick J. Kiger

In addition to the double-stranded spiral, a four-stranded tangle, known as an i-motif, has been shown to exist throughout our genetic material.

By Amanda Onion

Tetragametic chimerism occurs when a single organism has two genetically distinct types of DNA.

By Laurie L. Dove

Scientists in China successfully cloned the first-ever primates using the same method that created the world's most famous sheep — a method called somatic cell nuclear transfer.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky