Chromosomes are tightly packaged bundles of DNA, the chemical that encodes genetic information.
Most of the cells in a human body have a set of 46 chromosomes in their nucleus, while egg and sperm cells have only 23.
Separately, each of the mitochondria in each cell of a human body contain their own DNA, in the form of (multiple copies of) a circular chromosome.
US and German scientists have published the entire genetic code of chromosome seven, the largest human chromosome to be fully sequenced so far. It is made up of 153 million letters of DNA code (base-pairs), and contains at least 1,150 genes that specify proteins. The researchers say that they include...
An embryo screening technique that was licensed by the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) last September has resulted in its first pregnancy in the UK. Two UK clinics were initially given licences to perform aneuploidy screening: CARE in the Park, Nottingham and the Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre...
The 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA presents a golden opportunity to take stock of what impact this and subsequent discoveries in molecular genetics have had and what it promises for the future of human health and happiness. Genetics is now big business. Worldwide anniversary celebrations...
Two teams of scientists have identified the genetic cause of progeria, a rare premature ageing condition. Their findings could lead to a new treatment for the disease, and could also provide insights into the normal ageing process. The researchers, based at the National Human Genome Research Institute, US, and the...
A substance often found in plastic food containers could damage the genetic material of egg cells, according to a new study by a group of US researchers. The scientists, based at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, found that the chemical bisphenol A affected the number of chromosomes...
Two new studies have shown that alterations in a single gene are associated with severe obesity and 'binge-eating' behaviour in some people. A team at Cambridge University in the UK found that around five or six per cent of severely obese people studied inherited a particular version of a gene...
The length of your life could be related to the length of your telomeres - the segments of DNA that make up the ends of chromosomes. A new study suggests that people with shorter telomeres may die earlier than those with longer telomeres, either from an infectious disease or a heart...
In case you hadn't already noticed, a public consultation has been taking place in the UK over the past few months. Your views are being sought as to whether couples should be able to choose the sex of their prospective children. When a woman is expecting a baby, someone is...
In BioNews 189, the title of the above story should have been: 'Largest human chromosome to date decoded' and the first sentence should have read: 'French and American scientists have published the entire genetic code of human chromosome 14, the largest human chromosome decoded so far.' The 22 autosomal chromosomes...
French and American scientists have published the entire genetic code of human chromosome 14, the largest of the 24 different human chromosomes. It is made up of over 87 million chemical letters (base-pairs) of DNA, and contains more than 60 genes known to be involved in diseases. Although a rough...
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