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Genes are found on DNA, a molecule that looks like a twisted ladder. DNA is found in the nucleus of most cells, but it’s also found in mitochondria, which are like factories inside cells that help use energy from food.National Human Genome Research Institute

When European settlers arrived in North America, they brought their diseases with them. Shortly thereafter, large numbers of Native Americans began dying from smallpox infection. Five-hundred-year-old documents record this tale, but now scientists say they’ve found additional evidence for this buried deep inside human cells.

Visit the new Science News for Kids website and read the full story: Genes tell old story

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