Human genome

Human genome

The human genome consists of 23 chromosome and the small mitochondrial DNA. 22 of the 23 chromosomes are autosomal chromosome pairs and the last one being a gender-determining pair. In total, the human genome contains the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA and approximately 20,000-25,000 genes. By understanding human genome, scientists are able to develop new medical applications that can significantly advance the state of health care.

Industry: Biology; Medical

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Human genome

gene amplification

Medical; Human genome

1) A selective increase in the number of copies of a gene coding for a specific protein without a proportional increase in other genes. It occurs naturally via the excision of a copy of the ...

galactosylceramides

Medical; Human genome

Cerebrosides which contain as their polar head group a galactose moiety bound in glycosidic linkage to the hydroxyl group of ceramide. Their accumulation in tissue, due to a defect in ...

flanking marker

Medical; Human genome

An identifiable, polymorphic region of DNA (i.e., marker) located to the side of a gene (i.e., flanking), as opposed to an intragenic marker which is located within the gene itself. Flanking markers ...

goiter

Medical; Human genome

Enlargement of the thyroid gland.

fatty liver

Medical; Human genome

1) Lipid infiltration of the hepatic parenchymal cells resulting in a yellow-colored liver. The abnormal lipid accumulation is usually in the form of triglycerides, either as a single large droplet ...

gene expression

Medical; Human genome

1) The process by which a gene's coded information is translated into the structures present and operating in the cell (either proteins or RNAs). 2) Gene expression is the process by which the ...

gene dosage

Medical; Human genome

The number of copies of a given gene present in a cell or nucleus. An increase in gene dosage can result in the formation of higher levels of gene product, provided that the gene is not subject to ...