80% of human genome plays role of regulating gene function

New-found human genome function
It has been found that within the genome, the human blueprint that is busily being studied for purposes including the elucidation of disease, about 80% of all genetic information plays a necessary role in maintaining life by regulating gene function and the like. This result, which points to the usefulness of a portion of the genome that was previously believed to be pointless, and which will change our view of life as well as lead to new drug development, was published in an article in the September 6 issue of the scientific journal Nature. The genome is the DNA composing the chromosomes inside our cells. In 2003 it was declared that they had finished deciphering the genome, but only about 2% of it is composed of the "genes" that are the blueprint to the proteins forming the human body. By investigating variation in those genes it is possible to predict factors such as the probability that a disease will occur, but the function of the remaining 98% percent had been unknown. However, after investigating the functioning of the genome in detail, the ENCODE project, an international team with collaborators including RIKEN and others, found that 80.4% of it performs the role of a switch that instructs genes to create the right protein at the right place and time in order for life to continue. Disease can occur if these switches do not function correctly, and in fact, links to cancer and dementia have already been found. (source: http://www.asahi.com/health/news/TKY201209050834.html)