A big part of our mission is to help advance genetics education.
We had a rewarding opportunity to do so last Friday, as the 23andMe Education Team hosted a holiday event for thirty 4th and 5th grade students from the <a href="http://www.bgcp.org/">Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula</a>  (BGCP) in Redwood City.  
Not far from our Mountain View offices, this club provides underprivileged students with a safe place to play and learn after school.  It’s one of three BGCP  “Clubhouses” in the area. As BGCP  puts it, Clubhouses are a place to interact with positive peer groups and adults who care, who mentor, and who inspire.
Our goal was to inspire through science — and have a lot of fun with a group of bright, enthusiastic students. We introduced students to DNA basics through interactive games, including learning how genetics can influence certain traits.
The bitter taste test was a huge hit, as were the facial contortions of the super tasters. Students also built double helix models out of Legos.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23421 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-300x169.jpg" alt="20151218_160730" height="169" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_160730-1180x664.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
One of the students thought most of the things he learned about DNA were “boss.”
For example, in response to seeing a double helix structure: “Boss.” Upon learning tongue rolling is partially genetically influenced:“Boss.” Realizing he got to keep the Legos: “Boss.”

We also had the students guess for a prize how much DNA (in length) is packed into each individual human cell, using a piece of yarn to indicate their hypotheses. The conversation, like the ball of yarn, unspooled slowly with initial estimates  coming in around 6 inches. The guessing continued, ramping to a rapid fire pace  with students going smaller and smaller until one finally pulled the tiniest fiber of yarn he could manage, convinced he was going to win. They were surprised when the answer was revealed: approximately 6 feet.


Our favorite comment, though, was from a young girl who after constructing her Lego double helix exclaimed, “This is the best day ever! I sprained my foot on Wednesday, and this is way better!”
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23418 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-300x169.jpg" alt="20151218_164608" height="169" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/20151218_164608-1180x664.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
&#8220;Seeing the enthusiasm and excitement of the children was immensely rewarding,&#8221; said Ashley Horgan, academic program coordinator at 23andMe.
&#8220;They were eager to share their own knowledge of DNA, ask questions and participate in each activity.  Their smiles and energy left us all grateful  for having had  the opportunity to spend a few hours of our day with them.&#8221;
Students took home a bag of DNA-themed goodies to further their scientific exploration with their families and friends over the holiday break.  
Each gift bag contained a biographical book, family admission to the Tech Museum in San Jose (donated by our friends  at <a href="http://www.thetech.org/">the Tech</a>), a &#8220;You Share Genes with Me&#8221; coloring book with colored pencils, a Lego set, and 23andMe temporary tattoos.
23andMe volunteers also went home with special gifts from the event &#8211; students&#8217; enthusiasm for new knowledge and their gratitude for our time (and gifts).
Thanks to our hosts at BGCP, and all of the 23andMe volunteers, including those who helped coordinate  the event!
&#8211; <a href="https://education.23andme.org/">23andMe Education Team</a>

Editor&#8217;s note: this version has been slightly altered from the original post.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

“Best Day Ever”

Happy Thanksgiving!
This week, families across the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving with a sumptuous meal.
We’ve created a short video looking at the dinner table&#8217;s DNA.
Have a look.
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Happy Thanksgiving

23andMe offers a look into what your genes say about you, and this week the first <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23266" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-300x134.jpg" alt="chromosomes" width="300" height="134" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-300x134.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-768x343.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-1024x457.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-880x393.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes-1180x527.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/chromosomes.jpg 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />wave of our customers will begin getting that glimpse through our new experience.


The new experience offers multiple ways to understand what your genes say about you, whether you want to look at your ancestry, the traits you share with family, how your genetics plays a role in food preferences, or what conditions you might pass on to your children.
The new experience is also the first and only direct to consumer genetic test to include reports that have marketing authorization from the FDA.
The new experience includes some of the same features and tools that 23andMe first pioneered including our Ancestry Composition reports and DNA Relatives tool, but how that information is conveyed to customers has been fully reimagined.
There are simpler and more elegant ways to trace inheritance, and easier ways to share and compare data with others.
To see for yourself, take a look at this short video and look at some of the features being offered in the new 23andMe experience.
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The New 23andMe Experience

By Kate Black, 
23andMe Privacy Officer and Corporate Counsel<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23017 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kate-Black-preferred-200x300.jpg" alt="Kate Black preferred" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kate-Black-preferred-200x300.jpg 200w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Kate-Black-preferred.jpg 576w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />
In January, I joined 23andMe to oversee the privacy and security of our customers’ information. I am responsible for coordinating the many teams and team members across 23andMe who manage our website, conduct scientific research, and provide customer support to ensure that customer information remains appropriately safeguarded and secure. 
<h6>Privacy Center</h6>
I’ve had the exciting opportunity to elevate privacy and data protection practices in our newly redesigned website experience. As a part of that effort, we’ve built a new, easy to read <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">privacy center</a>, which contains some helpful information about 23andMe’s approach to privacy and security.
We’ve also updated our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/tos/">terms of service</a> and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/about/privacy/">privacy statement</a> to support our improved product.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-23111 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lock-217x300.jpg" alt="lock" width="217" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lock-217x300.jpg 217w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lock-636x880.jpg 636w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lock.jpg 709w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 217px) 100vw, 217px" />
I also spend time talking with 23andMe customers and potential customers about privacy and security related issues.
<h6>A Few Key Issues</h6>
Most people I speak with say they are concerned about the privacy of their genetic and personal information when signing up for and using 23andMe.
Specifically, individuals identify three main concerns:
<ol>
<li>How to manage sharing settings within 23andMe.com, including how and when other members can see their personal information within the our website.</li>
<li>How 23andMe uses customer information to conduct genetic research.</li>
<li>When and if third parties, such as family members, law enforcement, or insurance companies can get access to their information.</li>
</ol>
Over the next several months, I will dive deeper into each of these topics and others on this blog in an effort to be as transparent as possible about how 23andMe manages, shares, and protects our customers’ information.
I believe we have a responsibility to educate and inform our customers about how they can make meaningful choices regarding their information, and empower individuals to make the right choices for themselves and their families.
In the meantime, I hope you will take a moment to explore 23andMe’s new privacy <a href="https://www.23andme.com/privacy/">materials</a>.
Please also feel free to email us at <a href="mailto:privacy@23andme.com">privacy@23andme.com</a> if you have any questions or want more information about our privacy practices. 
We understand that your trust is vital to our business, and it’s my number one priority to earn that trust.

23andPrivacy

23andMe made some <a href="https://mediacenter.23andme.com/?p=1989" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">news today</a>, with the launch of a new experience for customers that includes the first and only direct-to-consumer <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-23064" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-300x173.jpg" alt="23andMe_Box_121013_1" width="300" height="173" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-300x173.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-768x443.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-1024x591.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-880x508.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/23andMe_Box_121013_1-1180x681.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />genetic service that meets U.S. FDA standards.
&nbsp;
We invested nearly two years of work conducting extensive user testing, working with regulators, scientists, physicians, and top product design experts.  Most importantly, we talked to 23andMe customers about how we could improve functionality, comprehension and create tools to improve your experience.


Take a look at our <a href="https://www.23andme.com">homepage</a> to get a sense of how 23andMe is redefining how genetic information is delivered to people.
We are working to transition our existing customers to the new experience as quickly as possible, but some of that transition is dependent on validation and local requirements.
New customers can expect to begin receiving results within six to eight weeks of returning their samples to our lab.
On the blog in the coming months, we&#8217;ll highlight some of what customers will see in the new product and explore some of the new offerings including new carrier status* reports, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">wellness reports</a>, information about traits and ancestry, as well as updated tools for exploring more aspects of their own genetic information.
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Existing customers will receive an email about the transition with links of where to go if they have questions. In the meantime, customers can go here for answers to some of the more frequently asked questions.


As 23andMe co-founder and CEO, Anne Wojcicki said today,  “This is an incredibly dynamic time in genetics and we’re excited to be at the leading edge of bringing genetics directly to individuals as they begin to learn about their 23 pairs of chromosomes.”


Stay tuned for more to come.
&nbsp;
*Our tests] can be used to determine carrier status in adults from saliva collected using an FDA-cleared collection device (Oragene DX model OGD.500.001), but cannot determine if you have two copies of the genetic variant. Each test is most relevant for people of certain ethnicities. The tests are not intended to diagnose a disease or tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future. On their own, carrier status tests are not intended to tell you anything about the health of your fetus, or your newborn child’s risk of developing a particular disease later in life.

A New 23andMe Experience

Whether you ordered 23andMe to learn more about your ancestry, to participate in research, or to connect with relatives, every 23andMe <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-24106 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png" alt="What's in the Kit" height="195" width="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-300x195.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-768x500.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-1024x667.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-880x573.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit-1180x768.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Whats-in-the-Kit.png 1822w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />customer can learn something about what makes them unique.
Our Customer Care team gets a lot of questions regarding first steps you need to make tOur cuo access this information. Hopefully we can clarify some of these important questions here.
When you receive your sample kit for the first time, there are a few important things to notice.
One of the first items you will see when opening the sample kit will be a piece of paper enclosed within a plastic casing. This paper is hard to miss – it displays a big red “STOP” message. However, as we all can imagine, this message can still be overlooked in the excitement of receiving the kit. 
&nbsp;
<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 250px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">Tips and Tricks On Providing A Sample
The process of providing a saliva sample can sometimes be more difficult than you might think. If you or anyone you are assisting is having a difficult time proving their sample within a 30 minute period, the tips and tricks found here. 

• Is your sample contaminated?
Feel free to rinse out the collection tube with water and allow it to air dry as long as the buffer fluid in your kit’s funnel lid is still intact.

• Missing a biohazard bag?
The sample can be mailed back to the laboratory in a ziplock bag. Just be sure to replace the funnel lid with the small cap. 

• Did your buffer fluid spill?
The liquid found in the funnel lid liquid in the funnel lid is a buffer fluid necessary for sample viability during transit to our laboratory. If you did not include the buffer fluid to your saliva sample, it is unlikely that our laboratory will be able to process your sample.
</div>
First of all, it is important to note that placing an order does not mean an account has been created or the sample has been registered. Placing an order, creating a 23andMe account, and registering your sample within your 23andMe account are three three separate processes.
So heed the message, stop and before doing anything else register your kit using the unique 14-digit barcode found on the side of the sample collection tube.
The registration process must be completed before the sample reaches the laboratory. The sample will not be processed at the laboratory unless it has been registered to a 23andMe account, so don’t skip this important step.
The registration process ensures that sample is connected to your account and that it is done so in a way that protects your privacy. That’s something that we here at 23andMe take very seriously. The barcode number you use to register your kit helps to ensure everyone’s data is not only protected, but also linked to the correct individual. To protect each of our customer’s privacy, the laboratory even removes and discards any identifying information included with a saliva sample before any testing personnel receive the sample.
Another important part of this registration process is that you don’t mix up kits. You must make sure that you are using the barcode from kit to which you provide your saliva sample. Sometimes couples or family members mistakenly mix up the kits they are registering. It is most important to make sure that each individual being genotyped uses the collection tube from which they have registered or intend to register.
Before we move on, we want to cover a few more questions we receive all the time regarding registration and account creation.
If you haven’t already set up a 23andMe account, you can do so at the registration link. If you have already set up a 23andMe account, you can click “sign in” instead, and then enter your barcode.
Once your 23andMe profile has been created, you are free to modify the information at any time using the edit profile button found in the drop down menu under your account profile name.
Now that your sample kit has been registered to your 23andMe account, it’s time to spit – provide your sample.
We can use saliva because there are a large number of white blood cells from which we extract your DNA. This means eating, drinking, brushing your teeth, biting your cheeks etc. within 30 minutes of submitting your sample could affect the quality and quantity of your white blood cells.
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23 pairs of Chromosomes, One Unique You.

A set of national genetic science standards for elementary through high school students in the United States offers a <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-2073" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/studentdna-300x199.jpg" alt="studentdna" width="300" height="199" />modest improvement over state-based standards, but still falls short of conveying some key genetic concepts, according to a <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0132742">new study</a> by science educators with the <a href="http://www.ashg.org/press/201507-NGSS.html">American Society of Human Genetics</a>.


The analysis is part of a multi-year effort to improve genetic literacy in the U.S. Several surveys have found large gaps in the general public&#8217;s understanding of some core genetic concepts such as patterns of inheritance, the genetic basis of evolution, and genetic variation.
A survey done in 2013 by 23andMe found that while more than 80 percent of people expressed interest in genetic testing, many did not understand some basic facts about genetics. Genomic science is already changing healthcare, making it that much more important for individuals to have at least a basic grasp of the science.
23andMe launched its academic program, in part, to offer educators more resources to teach genomics, while 23andMe’s popular Genetics 101 video series has been a mainstay for anyone wanting to learn more about the science. But much more is needed to bridge the gap in genetic literacy in the US.
The ASHG study looked at how effective the new national science standards were at addressing key concepts in genetics. The standards were developed in 2013 by the nonprofit organization Achieve, Inc., along with officials in 26 partner states, and were incorporated into existing National Science Education Standards. So far 13 states have adopted the national standards.
The study compared those standards to separate science standards that have been adopted in different states, and they looked at whether these different standards adequately covered 19 core genetic concepts that the American Society of Human Genetics identified as key for students to grasp. While the national standards seemed to offer some improvement, many of the 19 core concepts were inadequately covered or not cover at all, according to the report.
“The NGSS are the first comprehensive science standards recommendations issued in nearly 20 years, and to the extent that states adopt them, the effects on <a href="http://ashg.org/press/201404-GeneticsEd.html">public genetic literacy</a> could be far-reaching,” <a href="http://www.ashg.org/press/201507-NGSS.html">said Michael Dougherty</a>, PhD, Director of Education of ASHG, who led the study.
Comparing each state standards with the national standard, the study found that the national standards addressed genetics core concepts considerably better in 15 states, about equally well in 28 states, and not as well in 7 states.


While the national standards were deemed to offer a modest improvement, reviewers who were involved in the study did not offer high praise for how well the key genetic concepts were addressed by the standards.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-22700 size-large aligncenter" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Academic-page-640x237.jpg" alt="Academic page" width="640" height="237" />

Efforts to Improve Genetic Literacy

We are all unique, and knowing our genotypes at specific places in our genomes may give each of us a better understanding as to why.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-18019 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--300x222.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="222" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--300x222.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--768x568.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--1024x757.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--880x650.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix--1180x872.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Helix-.jpg 1372w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> 
with an alphabet made up of just four letters –  A, T, C and G.
Those four letters represent the nucleotide bases – adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine – that are the building blocks of life. The sequence of A’s, T’s, C’s and G’s run in long stretches of code that instruct the way the human body is built and functions.
In 2003 after ten years and $3 billion, scientists decoded the first sequence of a human genome. Since then costs have dropped for sequencing a genome to as low as $1,000. While very inexpensive in comparison, it would still be prohibitive for most consumers to have their full genome sequenced.
So how is 23andMe able to provide genetic data to so many people at an affordable price in just a matter of weeks?

The secret lies in a process called “SNP genotyping.”
If you compared two unrelated individuals, you would find that their genetic sequences are about  99.9 percent the same. It is that miniscule variation in their genome that makes all the difference. It’s what makes us each unique.
That small variation is also the key to how 23andMe can efficiently and cost-effectively deliver its service. Scientists have identified the known variation among individuals, specifically locating in the human genome where a single letter differs from one person to the next.
These one-letter variations are called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs (pronounced “snips”), and they are associated with differences in everything from the color of our eyes, to our risks for certain health conditions, and information about the makeup of our ancestry.
Let’s look at an example of a SNP.
Say a certain percentage of people have  a specific stretch of DNA code that reads ATGCCCGT, but everyone else  has the sequence ATGCACGT along that same stretch.
The nucleotide bases come in pairs, so in this case the difference is between whether a person is CC or AC at this position.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-22672" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Image-1-300x119.jpg" alt="Image 1" width="300" height="119" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Image-1-300x119.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Image-1-768x305.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Image-1.jpg 774w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Since these two letters are known to vary among individuals, we would call this position in the sequence a SNP. The difference between two people at a single position – whether you are CC or AC in this case  – is also referred to as the genotype for that SNP. Some of those differences may have no effect, some could be beneficial and some could be deleterious.
The benefit or harm of one version or the other can even change depending on one’s environmental surroundings. 23andMe provides individuals with information on hundreds of thousands of these SNPs.
To do that, 23andMe first has to extract DNA from saliva submitted by a customer. Once the DNA is extracted, it is amplified many times so that there is enough DNA to analyze. The amplified DNA is then cut into smaller pieces and washed over a microarray chip.
This  genotyping chip contains thousands and thousands of tiny probes that are designed to detect specific bits of DNA. Each probe on the chip contains a bit of DNA that matches a genetic variant of interest. Remember the nucleotide bases always come in pairs, an A always pairs with T, while a G pairs with C.   On the microarray chip, when a piece of DNA finds its complementary probe, it will stick to it.
These probes are triggered to glow in a way that indicates which version of each SNP is present in the sample. That fluorescent signal is read by a computer, and the data is then uploaded to the customer’s 23andMe account.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22673" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/image-2-300x246.jpg" alt="image 2" width="300" height="246" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/image-2-300x246.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/image-2.jpg 566w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Our customers have the ability to view this raw data in a feature called Browse Raw Data.
Our latest genotyping chip, v4, is unlike any of our previous genotyping platforms. Previous genotyping platforms included standard probes included by Illumina, the manufacturer of the chip, as well as additional probes selected by 23andMe.
The v4 chip, consists of a completely custom panel of probes that were hand picked by our researchers. Although our current genotyping chip contains about half a million SNPs (whereas the entire human genome has around 10 million SNPs), we can learn a lot about the human genome simply by looking at these locations where individual genotypes are known to differ. Full genome sequencing provides information on all 3 billion markers in the entire human genome, however it is difficult to predict when full sequencing will be available at an affordable price point for the general public.
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What’s Your Type?

I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but you don’t have a gene for being tall, or a gene for caffeine addiction or a gene for intelligence. No one does.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22682" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Clare-image-1-300x243.jpg" alt="Clare image 1" width="300" height="243" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Clare-image-1-300x243.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Clare-image-1-768x623.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Clare-image-1-880x714.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Clare-image-1.jpg 895w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
In an effort to simplify the science, the media sometimes talks about genetics and the influence of genes in these terms.
But there is not a “breast cancer gene,” or a “warrior  gene.”
It’s much more complicated than that. With a few exceptions, everyone has the same genes. But within these genes, there are slight variations – different genotypes – and it’s those small variations that makes us all unique.


So when a customer asks:
“Do I have this gene?”


Technically speaking, the answer is always:
“Yes.” 
The thing is, that’s not really what they are asking. They want to know if they have the genotypes that influence a certain trait. To understand what I mean by genotype, it helps to review a little biology.
Think of your DNA as one long string. A very, very long string that’s crammed into every cell in your body. This string is broken into many segments with each segment serving a different purpose. These segments of DNA are called genes.


Genes provide instructions for your body to produce different proteins. Proteins influence nearly every function of your body. Some proteins effect visible traits like the color of your eyes.  Others prompt biological functions from the ability to lift your arm to intricate cell processes.
With only a few exceptions, everyone has the same genes,  so it’s not the presence or absence of a gene that is variable.* It’s what is within those genes that is different. Each gene contains many positions, and each position is associated with a single genotype. It is the genotypes on a particular gene that make all the difference.
Let’s break this down a bit more.


Your DNA is made up of nucleotide bases – adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine. Your A’s, C’s, G’s and T’s, if you will. You can think of these bases like puzzle pieces. They bind with one another to form your DNA. Your DNA is organized into twenty-three pairs of chromosomes.   These bases together make up your genotype at that position. A genotype is written using the two letters of the two nucleotide bases at a particular position, such as AA or CT.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-22681" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clare-image-2-300x223.jpg" alt="clare image 2" width="300" height="223" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clare-image-2-300x223.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clare-image-2-768x572.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clare-image-2-880x655.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clare-image-2.jpg 940w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
There are several ways scientists refer to particular points in your DNA.
At 23andMe, we perform genotyping by analyzing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). It is a location on your DNA where the genotype can vary among people. This means that your genotype at that position may differ from other individuals.
Different genotypes at a particular SNP can indicate something about your physical characteristics, or potential genetic health risk. Genotyping services base interpretations on your genotype for a particular SNP or SNPs, not the presence or absence of a gene.
For example, the type of earwax you have is dependent on a single SNP located on the ABCC11. If your genotype at this SNP is TT, then you have dry earwax. If you have any other genotype at this SNP, then you have wet earwax.
And that’s it! So the next time you wonder if you have a particular gene, you’ll know it’s a bit more complicated than that. It’s all about those base pairs.
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*There are some conditions caused by gene deletions. 23andMe is not well-suited to detect such genetic changes.
 
**The exception to this are the sex chromosomes.

23andMe and You — Page 5