Hundred-Year Search for the Human Genome

The human genome has been an article of interest since the rediscovery of Mendel's laws at the turn of the century (1900–1901). Much progress was made during the first decade (1900–1910) with respect to our understanding of fundamental aspects of human genetics, such as the chromosomal basis of heredity, biochemical genetics, and population genetics. The development of these fields of inquiry languished for several decades but then advanced rapidly. However, human gene mapping stalled until 1970 when somatic cell genetic methods were introduced. The contributions of hybrid cell mapping to physical methods of genome analysis are described, and its legacy as an antecedent to the human genome initiative is discussed. Lastly, some properties of the 2000–2001 version of the human genome are briefly outlined.