The Human Body
Roughly how many protein-coding genes are in the human genome?
Answer
20,000 genes
Before the Human Genome Project, scientists bet we'd have around 100,000 genes. We actually have about the same number as a roundworm — and an onion carries roughly five times more DNA per cell than you do. Complexity comes from how genes are used, not how many there are.
Source: National Human Genome Research Institute
Enjoyed that? Off By Ten is a free daily game: five questions like this one, scored by how close you land. No account, no app.
Play today's puzzle →