Genetic distance

Genetic distance is a measure of how different the genes of two organisms are. Genes are instructions that tell our bodies how to grow and work. Some of these instructions are the same in all people, while others are different. Genetic distance helps scientists understand how related two organisms are and how likely they are to be able to mate and have healthy babies. To measure genetic distance, scientists compare DNA, which is the genetic material that contains these instructions. They look at how many parts of the DNA match or don’t match in two different organisms. If the DNA is very similar, that means the organisms are very closely related, like siblings or parent and child. But if the DNA is very different, that means the organisms are less related and can’t mate.