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Fact # 10) The Basics
(How many, how much, what for?)

• The human genome contains 3164.7 million chemical nucleotide bases (A, C, T, and G).

• The average gene consists of 3000 bases, but sizes vary greatly, with the largest known human gene being dystrophin at 2.4 million bases.

• The total number of genes is estimated at 30,000 to 35,000, much lower than previous estimates of 80,000 to 140,000 that had been based on extrapolations from gene-rich areas as opposed to a composite of gene-rich and gene-poor areas.

• The order of almost all (99.9%) nucleotide bases are exactly the same in all people.

• The functions are unknown for over 50% of genes discovered to date.

 

For More Information, visit the ORNL Genome Information Site:

http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/project/journals/insights.html

 

The Human Genome Top Ten: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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(A web site developed by Ken Miller and Joe Levine to provide scientific and education support for teachers and students using our textbooks)