Where We Begin and Where We End
Vol.2,No.1(2011)
The horizontal gene transfer and genetic engineering resulted in many crossings of the boundary dividing the human genome from the genomes of other organisms. The horizontal gene transfer is a natural process and cannot be stopped. The genetic engineering is a highly beneficial human activity and we cannot abandon it. Moreover, our ancestors “spilled” our genome with sequences of DNA from several extinct human species. It is necessary to accept that the border of the human genome is not sharply delineated. In the future, the contours of our genome could become even much fuzzier.
human genome; horizontal gene transfer; genetic engineering; Neanderthals; Denisovans
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