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10 Fun Facts about DNA

Jun 13, 2016 | Science and Technology

DNA is a very serious subject, but here are some fun facts for your entertainment.

  1. 8% of human DNA is now made up of ancient viruses that used to infect us and make us ill.
  2. We all know that we share 95% of our DNA with some types of primate but did you know we also share 50% of our DNA with bananas?
  3. DNA is found in every human cell and if you unraveled each strand it is nearly two (2) meters long. It is amazing then that it fits into 0.09 micrometer of space!
  4. If we unraveled the entire DNA in a human, it would stretch 10 billion miles. That would be the same as a return trip to Pluto.
  5. The DNA in every human cell gets damaged over 100 times a day. However, our bodies have very clever systems in place to act as repair mechanisms.
  6. It would take you 50 years to type the entire human genome if you typed at a speed of 60 wpm and worked 8 hours a day, every day.
  7. 99.9% of the DNA in all humans is identical. It is the tiny difference that allows us to be individuals.
  8. Apparently, DNA has a half-life of 521 years. In simple terms, this means that the oldest organism that could be cloned could not be more than 2 million years old. So we could never clone a dinosaur!
  9. If you ever receive a bone marrow transplant, you can have twp totally different DNA profiles.
  10. DNA can replicate itself and duplicate itself which is the reason humans can exist.
5 Comments
  1. chris
    chris on February 6, 2018 at 11:54 pm

    this really helpful especially w/ science fair projects 4 students.

    Reply
    • DDC
      DDC on February 7, 2018 at 12:26 pm

      Hi, Chris. Glad we could help!

      Reply
  2. Robin
    Robin on March 12, 2018 at 12:30 am

    Repair men? Let’s keep the metaphors gender neutral.

    Reply
    • DDC
      DDC on March 12, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      Good point. Thanks for the reminder!

      Reply
    • Aidan
      Aidan on February 5, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      Does it really matter that much? It’s a fun fact site, I really don’t think anyone cared that much. Also, it’s a simile, not a metaphor. You played your self. Have a nice day.

      Reply

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