RNA-Seq
Okay, so let's imagine that you have a big library filled with books, and you want to find out which ones are the most popular among the people who visit the library. To do this, you need a way to count how many times each book has been checked out.
In a similar way, scientists want to know which genes in our body are the most active, or "popular." To do this, they use a special technique called RNA-seq.
RNA is a molecule in our cells that helps to make proteins, which are the building blocks of our body. Scientists can isolate all the RNA from a particular tissue or cell type and turn it into a library of sorts. Then, they use a machine to "read" the RNA and figure out which genes are being used the most.
Just like you might count how many times a book has been checked out of the library, RNA-seq tells scientists how many times a particular gene is "expressed" or used in a particular cell or tissue. This can help them understand what genes are important for different functions in the body, and even which ones might be involved in diseases like cancer.
So, basically, RNA-seq is a way for scientists to count how many times different genes are being used in our body, kind of like counting how many times different books are being checked out of a library!
In a similar way, scientists want to know which genes in our body are the most active, or "popular." To do this, they use a special technique called RNA-seq.
RNA is a molecule in our cells that helps to make proteins, which are the building blocks of our body. Scientists can isolate all the RNA from a particular tissue or cell type and turn it into a library of sorts. Then, they use a machine to "read" the RNA and figure out which genes are being used the most.
Just like you might count how many times a book has been checked out of the library, RNA-seq tells scientists how many times a particular gene is "expressed" or used in a particular cell or tissue. This can help them understand what genes are important for different functions in the body, and even which ones might be involved in diseases like cancer.
So, basically, RNA-seq is a way for scientists to count how many times different genes are being used in our body, kind of like counting how many times different books are being checked out of a library!