The Last Secret of the Human Genome Revealed - What This Means for Humanity## Contribution

For the first time in the history of science, scientists have managed to fully assemble the human genome, eliminating all "white spots." Until recently, the Y-chromosome remained the most obscure area - now its structure has been completely revealed.

What hindered before

Previous versions of the genome contained significant gaps, especially in areas related to male fertility. Some sections were mistakenly identified as bacterial. This distorted the picture. Now such inaccuracies no longer exist.

How this was achieved

American researchers applied the latest technologies: long-read DNA sequencing, improved sequencing methods, and advanced algorithms. Thanks to this, they managed to assemble all 62.4 million base pairs of the Y-chromosome and eliminate errors in previous versions.

In addition, 41 previously unknown protein-coding genes were found.

Parallel research - new discoveries

Scientists also compared Y-chromosomes of 43 men from around the world, including Africa. The results were astonishing:

• The chromosome size ranged from 45 to almost 85 million base pairs.

• Some DNA segments were "flipped" - the order was changed, but not the functions of the genes.

• This diversity spans 183 thousand years of evolution.

Why this is important

New knowledge about Y-chromosome variations helps better understand human health, development, and evolution. Although chromosomes have been studied for more than a century, the genome still presents surprises - for example, it was recently discovered that the chromosome mass is 20 times higher than previously thought.

Now that the genome has been fully decoded, new horizons are opening for medicine and biology.