DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the blueprint contained in the cells of all living things. It carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism.
Each of your parents contributes half of your DNA. The DNA is carried on 23 pairs of chromosomes. There are more than 8 million possible combinations of these chromosomes from your parents, leading to unique variations in your traits. Some of the things determined by DNA include eye color, hair color, and height. It’s like a roll of the dice which traits you may get.
For a simple example of how traits can be selected, play this game where you build a unique dog by randomly choosing ear shape, eye color, nose color, and fur color.
Did you know?
Dogs and humans share 84% of their DNA.
How to Play:
- Click "Roll" to randomly select a trait.
- Drag and drop the parts onto the correct areas of the dog. You can drop parts back onto their starting cards, or drop a new part over to replace it.
- Switch between the traits by clicking on the buttons above the parts.
The roll demonstrates the concept of chance in genetics and only serves to guide your dog design. But in this game, you can also not roll, and can freely build your own custom dog, even mixing and matching the left and right sides.
