▁direct ▁correlation ▁between ▁NUM T ▁and ▁cancer ▁in ▁different ▁body ▁org ans . ▁Under standing ▁the ▁relation , ▁the ▁timing ▁of ▁the ▁NUM T ▁insert ion , ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁insert ion , ▁and ▁dis rupted ▁gen es ▁would ▁help ▁with ▁producing ▁more ▁powerful ▁and ▁effective ▁medicine . ▁ ▁Ex perimental ▁uses ▁and ▁errors ▁ ▁Although ▁understanding ▁non - random ▁insert ion ▁of ▁NUM T ▁and ▁carrying ▁out ▁certain ▁function ▁after ▁insert ion , ▁helps ▁with ▁reve aling ▁the ▁structure ▁and ▁determ ining ▁the ▁complete ▁function ▁of ▁the ▁gen ome , ▁especially ▁human ▁gen ome , ▁NUM T s ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁experimental ▁tools ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁benef icial ▁in ▁different ▁bi ological ▁fields ▁even ▁before ▁having ▁any ▁knowledge ▁about ▁the ▁function ▁of ▁NUM T s . ▁For ▁instance , ▁NUM T s ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁not ▁only ▁as ▁gen etic ▁markers ▁but ▁also ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁for ▁understanding ▁the ▁relative ▁rate ▁of ▁mut ation ▁in ▁the ▁nucle us ▁and ▁the ▁mit och ond ria ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁recre ating ▁evolution ary ▁trees . ▁The ▁continu ing ▁process ▁of ▁NUM T ▁integration ▁into ▁the ▁nuclear ▁gen ome ▁is ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁the ▁finding ▁of ▁NUM T s ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁inserted ▁into ▁the ▁human ▁gen ome ▁after ▁the ▁human – ch imp anze e ▁diver gence . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁NUM T s ▁are ▁variable ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁the ▁genom ic ▁presence ▁or ▁absence , ▁indicating ▁that ▁they ▁have ▁only ▁ar isen ▁recently ▁in ▁the ▁human ▁population , ▁perm itting ▁them