What's a genome?
A genome is the complete set of DNA in an organism.
- Nearly every single cell in a body contains a complete copy of approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs, or letters, that make up the human body.
- Zygote's don't contain a complete copy of cells.
- DNA contains the information needed to build each cell in an organism.
Genes direct the production of proteins
- Located on 23 pairs of chromosomes packed into the nucleus of a cell, genes direct the production of proteins with the assistance of enzymes and messenger molecules.
- An enzyme is a biological catalyst - it speeds up a reaction.