How Do Genetics Explain Human Diversity and Similarity?

[maryp86]

I am in AP Biology and we have been given an assignment relating to human genetics. The statement is: "Humans are genetically different; yet genetically similar at the same time." Explain why this statement is true. I have been researching day and night for the past 2 days and although I have found some decent research, I am at a standstill. So far, this is all I have for my paper:

The statement, “humans are genetically different; yet genetically similar at the same time” is in fact true. Although it may not seem like it, every person alive today came from one place, the human family. Within that family, many races, ethnicities, and cultures erupted causing the physical differences seen in people. Each person may appear very diverse on the outside but believe it or not, they are all surprisingly similar on the inside. Due to certain laws created by Mendel, chromosome structures, mitosis, meiosis, genotypes, and phenotypes, researchers have developed specific reasons as to why humans are all connected in some way or another.

As of right now, I am stuck and I don't know what else to say. I want to talk a little bit about race and Darwin's theories but I'm not sure if that's the right approach or not. My teacher wants us to incorporate the following topics as well, chromosomes and their structures, nuclear and cell division, the events in mitosis and meiosis that ensure genetic variation, genes, alleles, geneotype, phenotype, and phenotypic expression of alleles.

I just really need help so anybody that's out there, please help me! Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks. =]

 

[Ygggdrasil]

From the prompt, it sounds like your teacher wants you to 1. discuss how humans and genetically different, and 2. discuss how humans are genetically similar. Some good things to consider is how different is the DNA between different individuals (you should be able to give a number here)? Are all genetic differences manifested between individuals? What biological processes lead to genetic diversity in human populations? Also, an introduction about genetics in general, including how genes determine a person's characteristics would also be appropriate and how traits are passed on, would be appropriate.