Science has its day in spotlight

Perhaps the best crime-solving tool of the modern era, DNA, or DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, has made it easier to identify the perpetrator in many criminal situations. That is why the importance of  National DNA Day is worth mentioning.

National DNA Day takes place April 25 and this year that day is on a Sunday. DNA is a molecule made of proteins that form into a double helix shape and is vital to humans because it carries necessary information that impacts development and functions of the human body. DNA can be found inside the nucleus of human cells and when those cells are analyzed, the DNA can help identify the origins.

April.25, 1953, is when the discovery of DNA was published in a famous science journal. The notable people who worked on the paper were James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin (www.sciencehistory.org).

According to the National Human Genome Institute, National DNA Day also commemorates the completion of the Human genome project in 2003. This was a long and extensive project that lasted 15 years.

You can celebrate this holiday by simply doing research about DNA and sharing that knowledge with others. Next March, however, you might want to check out this annual contest: Discover Genetics. Be sure to mark your calendar!