Human genome

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/human-genome

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Homo sapiens genome
2. What is the total base pairs?Approximately 3 billion base pairs
3. How many genes are in the human genome?About 20,000 to 25,000 genes make proteins, but they are only a small part of all the DNA.
4. What did the Human Genome Project do?It mapped all the genes in our DNA, finished a draft in 2003, and helped scientists learn more about health and evolution.

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth, and reproduction of all known organisms.
Gene: A specific sequence of nucleotides in DNA or RNA that is located usually on a chromosome and that is the functional unit of inheritance controlling the transmission and expression of one or more traits.
Chromosome: A thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
Gene Expression: The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, such as a protein.