Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — with one honest exception. Every real gene, organism and genome in our catalog is genuine: placed on its true chromosome and location using public reference genomes (GRCh38 / NCBI), with plain-language meanings we keep scientifically honest and never overstate. The exception is our for-fun Realm of Legend — the unicorns, dragons and other mythical creatures. Their genomes are entirely imagined for fun and are always clearly labeled as such (marked '✨ For Fun', with an 'imagined genome' note), so a bit of whimsy is never mistaken for real biology.

A gene is a specific stretch of DNA that does a job — a sequence that spells out a real instruction your body uses (OXTR helps you bond and love; ACTN3 builds a sprinter's fast-twitch muscle). When you Gift a Gene, you're choosing one of these meaningful, named genes for its story and its function. A DNA parcel is different: it's a fixed-size piece of a genome — a permanent 10,000-base-pair stretch (or a full million in our Genome Giants) identified by its exact coordinates — and you can claim one from any genome you like, from the human code to your dog, a redwood, even a mythical creature. Here's an analogy: picture a genome as a map of an entire country. A gene is a famous landmark on that map — a place some explorer discovered and named, like Pike's Peak or Mount Everest. A DNA parcel is like owning 40 acres of prairie land — just a small part of the entire country — a real, permanent plot dedicated in your name, wherever it happens to fall. One comes with a story and a job; the other is a piece of the code you hold by its location. Both are honest, symbolic dedications — never literal ownership of DNA.

No — and that's an important part of the honesty here. No one can own a human gene or a stretch of the genome; it belongs to all of us. A MyGeneCode gift — whether a named gene or a claimed parcel in the Human Code Registry — is a symbolic dedication, a beautiful way to celebrate a person through real biology. It is not a legal claim, a patent, or scientific ownership of any kind. What we do promise is permanence: when you claim a parcel, MyGeneCode records that dedication in its registry and commits to maintaining it for the operating lifetime of MyGeneCode.com, so your moment stays inscribed and yours.

The Human Code Registry divides the entire human genome into a finite number of permanent 10,000-base-pair parcels. You claim one in the name of someone you love, and we inscribe that dedication — with its real GRCh38 coordinates — in our permanent registry, kept for the operating lifetime of MyGeneCode.com. Because the genome is finite, each parcel is one of a limited number that will ever exist. Like our gene gifts, a claim is a symbolic dedication, never a legal or scientific claim of ownership.

A framable, archival-quality certificate with gold-foil styling and your personalized dedication — naming the gene, its meaning, and its real location in the genome. It's made to frame and display: hang it on a wall, set it on a desk, or stand it on a shelf.

Your certificate is available digitally right after you order, and you can add a printed, frameable edition shipped to the address you choose — send it to yourself to give in person, or straight to the recipient.

Absolutely. You choose the gene, name the recipient and the occasion, and add a short personal message. You can preview how it reads before you order, so the words feel exactly right.

Browse by chromosome and read each gene's meaning — there are genes tied to bonding, strength, language, longevity, curiosity, and more. If you'd like a hand, our gift concierge (the gold button, bottom-right of any page) can suggest a gene based on who you're celebrating.

Yes. We only collect what we need to craft and deliver your gift and to follow up about your order. We don't sequence anyone, we don't collect DNA, and we never sell your information. The genes themselves come entirely from public scientific databases.

The creature icon artwork across MyGeneCode is inspired by — and lovingly adapted from — original drawings by the founder's 12-year-old daughter. It's a small family touch we're proud of: a young artist's real sketches, gently colored and brought to the registry to celebrate the creatures we all love.

Anyone you want to celebrate in a way that lasts — a partner on an anniversary, a new parent, a graduate, a grandparent, an athlete, a friend who's one of a kind. If a person's qualities can be put into words, there's usually a gene that captures them.