Genetics by the Numbers

Even though scientists have been studying genetics since the mid-19th century, they continue to make new discoveries about genes and how they impact our health on a regular basis. NIGMS researchers study how genes are expressed and regulated, how gene variants with different “spellings” of their genetic code affect health, and much more. Get the drop on DNA and the gist of genes with these fast facts: 3.2 Billion A marbled lungfish has a genome over 40 times larger than humans. Credit: iStock. That’s how many base pairs—or sets of genetic “letters”—make up the human genome. If you were to sing the genetic code to the tune of the “ABCs,” you’d be singing nonstop for over 585 years! However, humans are by no means the species with the most base pairs. The marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) has about 133 billion of them in its genome. 20,000 DNA encodes RNA, which encodes protein. Credit: NIGMS. That’s the approximate number of genes in the human genome that provide cells with the information they need to make proteins. Genes are transcribed into RNA molecules, which are then translated into proteins. These protein-coding genes make up less than 2 percent of the entire genome. Other genes contain information about making RNA molecules that don’t directly code for a protein, which are sometimes called RNA genes. 99.9 DNA coils into the shape of a double helix, whose sides are complementary. Credit: NIGMS. ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Genes By the Numbers DNA Genomics Source Type: blogs