Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the building block of all life on earth, is composed of long strands of four basic chemicals: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine. Our cells contain DNA molecules in their nucleus, where they are coiled up into 23 pairs of chromosomes. DNA contains segments called genes detailing how every piece of our cells should work. As our cells divide and reproduce, these genes are copied from one generation to the next.

Occasionally, our cells make errors when copying our genetic code. Some of these mistakes can cause genes to malfunction, and that can lead to serious physical and mental disorders. Current research in genetics has identified over 6,000 rare genetic disorders (which occur in less than 200,000 people nation-wide) such as cystic fibrosis, psoriasis and Huntington's disease. Although each disorder is rare, on average 1 in 10 people has been diagnosed with a genetic disorder. Many of these disorders have no known treatments, but new posibilities such as gene therapy, which attempts to repair copying mistakes in our DNA, hold the promise for new cures. This search for cures is the focus of Gene Pool; see the rules for more information on how to play.

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