The Genetic Symphony Between Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA

What do music and DNA have in common? If they aren’t composed properly, you won’t enjoy your life.

Living With Genes Newsletter | Issue #9 — The Genetic Symphony Between Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA!

In the intricate melody of life, our genetic code plays an important role in ensuring our biological symphony are orchestrated properly. A good composition ensures a strong and healthy life. A bad composition creates genetic mutations and a life of sickness and pain.

At the heart of this lie 3 essential components — chromosomes, genes, and DNA. While many people may be familiar with them, not everyone understands the differences between these 3 elements. In fact, many mistakenly assume that genes and DNA actually mean the same thing — they do not.

Many people do not know this, but chromosomes, genes and DNA are just “subsets” of each other. Extracted from my seminar deck titled ‘Impact of Genetics’

In this article, let us explore the fascinating world of chromosomes, genes, and DNA in the perspective of a grand orchestra. We will uncover the nature of each element, as well as their unique roles that make up the wonderful performance called “Life”.

The Orchestra Analogy

Imagine if our genetic material is a grand orchestra — each section representing a vital component of our biological makeup. The entire symphony is composed of 4 major parts: Nucleus, Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA.

Nucleus: The Symphony Concert Hall

The cell nucleus is like a grand concert hall, the central stage where the entire performance unfolds. It is enveloped by a strong double membrane, ensuring that the delicate proceedings inside are protected and regulated.

The nucleus is located in the center of your cells and is where your genetic information is stored. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Apart from that, the nucleus also plays the role of a conductor — orchestrating our separate genetic components into a beautiful song.

Indeed, much like how an expert composer directs different parts of the orchestra to create beautiful music, our nucleus dictates when (and where) specific genetic expressions occur, synchronizing the timing and sequence of these events with precision.

Chromosomes: The Master Musicians

Now, envision chromosomes as talented musicians in the grand hall. Each of us have 46 musicians, organized into 23 pairs [1]. Imagine each pair has different instruments, and is tasked with playing a specific role in the orchestra, creating unique structural proteins that forms our body (and personality).

The chromosomes are located inside your nucleus and each pair of chromosomes have specific roles to play. Photo credit from Unsplash, and edited by Photoshop.

However, out of the 23 pairs, there is 1 pair that is “odd”. Unlike the rest of our 22 pairs which are essentially twins (called Autosomes), that last pair of our chromosomal assemble can sometimes be different. They are called Sex Chromosomes.

For roughly 50% of the population, that pair is made up of Ms X and Ms X (twins), and a female is born. However, when one of the Ms Xs is replaced by a “Mr Y”, the entire symphony gives birth to a male biology.

Our chromosomes dictate our physical attributes and gender. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Genes: The Musical Compositions

With each chromosome (musician), we find the genes — the musical compositions that allow our genetic performers to play beautiful music with their instruments.

Genes are double-helix structures containing your genetic codes. Genes that are tightly packed together become your chromosomes. Photo credit from Unsplash, and edited by Photoshop.

Whether the composition is for the epic Star Wars theme song (yes, I am a Star Wars fan!), or the catchy tune of “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, each piece instructs the timing and flow of music for our chromosomal pairs. For example, in Star Wars, the composition dictates when the flutes should be played and when the trumpets should come in.

Just as different musical pieces contribute to the overall beauty of a concert, genes hold the instructions for creating synergistic proteins, our building blocks of life, that determine various aspects of our health and body.

DNA: The Musical Sheets

Lastly, at the heart of it all is our “DNA” (or deoxyribonucleic acids). DNA is made up of molecules called Nucleotides, and these nucleotides are like the various music notes that makes up a musical chord.

Our musical chord is comprised of a combination of 4 different types of nucleotides — they are Guanine, Adenine, Cytosine and Thymine [3]. The unique combination of these 4 molecules make up the intricate and precise music sheets that contain the notes and instructions for each musical composition.

DNA is comprised of 4-nucleotide combinations. Within a single tetranucleotide block, there can be 256 possible combinations of different and repeating patterns. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Indeed, our DNA is the blueprint that guides the creation of proteins and, consequently, shapes our physiological characteristics. Every twist and turn in the DNA sequence creates an important note in the grand symphony of our life.

The Choreography of Genetic Expressions

This interplay of elements result in the formation of our unique genetic expressions and biology.

Picture it as a live performance where the grand concert hall (nucleus) holds the musicians (chromosomes) to play specific composition pieces (genes) using the meticulously crafted music sheets (DNA). It is this combination of elements that determines the melody of our existence.

Furthermore, during the symphony of life, genes can be “turned on” or “off” based on various external factors. It is similar to how a single musician may play a wrong note and ruin the entire song (eg. genetic mutation leading to cancer), or a foreign intruder (ie. a virus) can crash the concert, disrupting our performance of life [4].

When genes are composed and “played” wrongly, irregular events like mutations may occur. Image generated by Midjourney AI and edited by Photoshop.

Indeed, besides our gene expressions, we must also consider the impact of environment and lifestyle on our genetics.

Conclusion

Beyond understanding the profound relationship between chromosomes, genes, and DNA, it is also an invitation to embark on your personal journey of self-discovery, and unlock the mysteries encoded in your genetic “score”.

Through modern marvels like DNA testing, we have the opportunity to unravel the musical notes that make up the unique melody of our existence.

As the symphony of life is always dynamic, and ever-evolving, let the notes of your genetic code guide you on a journey of self-discovery, and may the revelations that unfold inspire you to embrace the beauty and diversity that is encoded within you!

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Disclaimer: The content in this article is intended solely for informational purposes and may contain outdated information after the date of publishing that doesn’t reflect the latest scientific advancements. The content is presented “as is” and is not guaranteed to be complete or up-to-date.

Sources :

• [1] 2021, How many chromosomes do people have? (link)
• [2] 2008, Translation: DNA to mRNA to Protein (link)
• [3] National Human Genome Research Institute, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Fact Sheet (link)
• [4] National Human Genome Research Institute, Mutation (link)