What is the size of the human genome?

Answer 1

Answer

The human genome is made up of DNA, which has four different chemical building blocks. These are called bases and abbreviated A, T, C, and G. In the human genome, about 3 billion bases are arranged along the chromosomes in a particular order for each unique individual. It's also important to mention that not all of those bases serve a known function. Humans have about 30,000 protein coding genes, which comprise only 2% of our genome but form the builiding blocks of all our cells. The other 98% is made up of elements such as miRNA which regulate how the protein coding genes function. Only a few years ago it was thought most of the DNA in the human genome was junk (repetative waste accumulated over evolution that cluttered the genome) It is now becoming clear that at least 80% of the genome is transcribed and may therefore be of some involved in how our bodies function.


To get an idea of the size of the human genome present in each of our cells, consider the following analogy: If the DNA sequence of the human genome were compiled in books, the equivalent of 200 volumes the size of a Manhattan telephone book (at 1000 pages each) would be needed to hold it all.



It would take about 9.5 years to read out loud (without stopping) the 3 billion bases in a person's genome sequence. This is calculated on a reading rate of 10 bases per second, equaling 600 bases/minute, 36,000 bases/hour, 864,000 bases/day, 315,360,000 bases/year.
Storing all this information is a great challenge to computer experts known as bioinformatics specialists. One million bases (called a megabase and abbreviated Mb) of DNA sequence data is roughly equivalent to 1/4 megabyte of computer data storage space. Since the human genome is 3 billion base pairs long, 3/4 gigabytes of computer data storage space are needed to store the entire genome. This includes nucleotide sequence data only and does not include data annotations and other information that can be associated with sequence data.
As time goes on, more annotations will be entered as a result of laboratory findings, literature searches, data analyses, personal communications, automated data-analysis programs, and auto annotators. These annotations associated with the sequence data will likely dwarf the amount of storage space actually taken up by the initial 3 billion nucleotide sequence. Of course, that's not much of a surprise because the sequence is merely one starting point for much deeper biological understanding!
Remember that humans have a diploid genome thus our entire complement of DNA is composed of 6 billion bases; 3 billion from each parent.

The reason for the Human Genome Project is to map out the human genome so as to find a way to prevent genetic disorders such as birth defects and so on.

Answer 2

The genome of a human male contains some 5,727,000,000 base pairs (National Centre for Biotechnology Human Reference sequence from Build 33 of the Human Genome, released April14, 2003).

If we asssume that the distance between base pairs (i.e. that of a deoxyribose phosphodiester group) is 0.00000000033 metres (Chapter 17, Biochemistry by T. & J. McKee , Oxford University Press 2008) then the total length of the DNA will be some 1.88991 metres, with the DNA of a female being 3.3cm longer. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

the human genome contains about 3 billion base pairs, they are curled up in a double helix, each turn takes 10 base pairs and is 3,4 nanometers in height that means:

(3*109/10)*3,4=1,02*109 nanometers = 1,02 m.

This may seem unreal but keep in mind that our DNA is very compact because it is wrapped around a proteïn skeleton

Answer 4

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

Answer 5

The length of the human genome is over 3 million base pairs. The genome is organized into 22 paired chromosomes, and the genome is the genetic material of an organism.

Answer 6

3 billion (3exp9) base pairs. 23 pairs of chromosomes. 20000-25000 genes.