Genetics is the study of heredity, which refers to the features we inherit from our parents and their parents and so on. Coded information found in every cell of the body controls these characteristics.DNA, genes, and chromosomes are the components of heredity. This page provides a basic understanding of genetics, including genes, DNA, and chromosomes and how they differ.
What is a genome?
A genome is the entire set of genetic instructions that determine an organism’s features (characteristics and circumstances) in its most basic form. Genes, DNA, and chromosomes make up the genome.
Genes are the coding units that hold the information that defines our characteristics. Every human possesses between 20,000 and 25,000 genes, half of which are inherited from our biological mothers and the other half from our biological fathers.
The building blocks of genes are DNA. The arrangement of these building blocks determines how our features are genetically coded.
Every cell in the body has chromosomes, a contained unit of genes. Every cell contains two sets of 23 chromosomes in total. Each set is a combination of our biological parents’ genes.
Your genetics determines the way your body develops throughout pregnancy. It determines how you will develop, seem, and age. It will also determine how the body’s cells, tissues, and organs function (including times when they cease to function)
What is a gene?
A gene is a piece of DNA with a specific function encoded in it.
Some genes generate proteins in response to instructions. Proteins are molecules that build up tissues such as muscles and skin and play a crucial part in the body’s structure and function.
In RNA and DNA, genes are made up of a string of nucleotides. Genes are the genetic units responsible for passing down features and traits from parents to children. The genes are Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) fragments. The human body is made up of many cells, each of which has chromosomes. The genes are confined to the chromosomes found in the cell’s nucleus. Thousands upon thousands of genes make up the chromosome.
What are chromosomes?
Chromosomes are chromosome bundles that contain genes. Humans have 46 unique chromosomes, which are divided into 23 pairs. Nearly every cell in the body contains chromosomes in the control center (nucleus).
Whether you are born, male or female, is determined by a single set of chromosomes called the X and Y chromosomes. XX chromosomes are found in females, while XY chromosomes are found in males.
The rest of your body’s makeup is determined by the other 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes. Some genes on these chromosomes are dominant, while others are recessive.
What are genotypes and phenotypes?
A person’s genotype (or genome) is their unique set of genes or genetic makeup. As a result, the genotype is a complete collection of instructions for how a person’s body synthesizes proteins and, as a result, how that person’s body should be created and function.
The phenotype is a person’s physical structure and function. The phenotype is how the genotype manifests in a person; not all the genotype’s instructions may be followed (or expressed). The environment (including sicknesses and diet) and other unknown factors play a role in determining if and how a gene is expressed.
Difference between genes and chromosomes
Conclusion
Genes and chromosomes both serve a vital role in storing information. Many genes are found on the chromosome, and these genes contain the instructions for making specific proteins.