Genome organisation: Human
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2021
Department/School
Biology
Publication Title
Encyclopedia of Life Sciences
Abstract
The human nuclear genome is organised into a highly complex arrangement of two sets of 23 chromosomes comprised of various types of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences. With less than 2% of the human genome consisting of protein-encoding DNA sequence, the remainder of the 3 × 109 bp of the haploid genome consists of a multifaceted assortment of DNA sequence classifications. At the broadest level, the genome can be divided into single-copy protein-encoding genes, repetitive sequences and spacer DNA. Notably, the categories of repetitive sequences are profoundly intricate and may be further classified into functional or functionally related groups such as gene families and superfamilies, or groups with no known function such as satellite DNA and transposable elements. Their genomic organisation may be dispersed, within localised regions, and/or tandemly repeated. The generation of repetitive sequences results from a variety of mechanisms continually promoting a genome that is highly dynamic.
Recommended Citation
Kass, D. H., & Batzer, M. A. (2021). Genome organisation: Human. In Encyclopedia of life sciences (pp. 61–71). https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0029269
Comments
D. H. Kass is a faculty member in EMU's Department of Biology.