Nature · 1
How many chromosomes do humans have?
Answer
46
Humans have 46 chromosomes total, organized into 23 pairs, with 23 inherited from each parent (22 autosomes plus one sex chromosome). These chromosomes contain all the genetic information necessary to build and maintain a human body, encoded in approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs. Chromosomal abnormalities such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) occur when the normal chromosome count or structure is altered.
💡 Did you know?
Humans share 98% DNA with chimpanzees; chimpanzees have just two extra chromosomes, revealing our evolutionary closeness at the molecular level.
Other options people guess
- 23
- 92
- 23 pairs
Topics
- genetics
- biology
- human
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