Re: What are the similarities and differences between human and chimpanzee DNA?

Mike –
What a good question!  It is pretty common to hear people talk about humans
and chimps being 99% genetically similar.  On the basis of their DNA
structure, they are virtually identical.  Indeed, almost all living
creatures have the same DNA structure, a double helix comprised of four
"code letters" (A, T, G, C) that are actually nitrogenous bases linked to a
sugar called deoxyribose with a phosphate group attached.  This is almost
universal, and even bacterial DNA is virtually identical to human DNA.  
Chimps are interesting, though, because we share so many of their genes. 
The numbers are a little confusing, though, because while 99% sounds very,
very similar, when you think that humans have almost 3 billion (with a B!)
base pairs, then 1% difference equals almost 30 million different base
pairs.  What's most interesting, though, is where those differences are. 
Essential genes tend to be the most similar between humans and chimps. 
Satellite DNA, which is the DNA between gene products that is thought to
play a key role in regulating how genes are used, has nearly twice the rate
of differences.  Scientists are obvioulsy quite interested in finding these
differences so they can explain what evolutionary "leap" gave rise to the
most successful of the apes - humans.  
Billy.

I have included some links for you to look at Mike.  I say, though, that
while Wikipedia is an interesting source for background information it
probably shouldn't be used as a source for a paper.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute article on genome comparisons. http://www.hhmi.org/news/eichler2.html

Wikipedia's DNA article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA

Wikipedia's Chimpanzee article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimpanzee

Wikipedia's Genome article (pretty interesting). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome