How Many Genes Do Humans Have?

Written By: Indus Health Plus Doctors Team

Medically Reviewed | Based on Clinical Guidelines

Last Updated : 18 Jun 2021

Want to Know More?

Let’s delve deeper into genes and genetics.

• The complete set of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that carries the genetic instructions of organisms is called a genome

• DNA molecules are made of paired strands twisted around each other

• Every strand is made up of four units - nucleotide bases

• These nucleotide bases are adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C)

• The opposite strands pair - A always pairs with a T, & a C always with a G

• Human genome has about 3Billion of nucleotide base pairs

• They reside in 23 pairs of chromosomes within the nucleus of cells

• Every chromosome has 100s to 1000s of genes

• Genes carry the instructions to make proteins

• The 20,000 plus genes in the human genome make an average of three proteins

How Genes are the Blueprint of Your Life?

• our food intake to fulfil the requirements and deficiencies in your body. Also, avoid eating foods that you have an allergic/health risk for

• Know the health conditions that you are susceptible to and take actions to prevent them

• Plan the prevention, management and treatment for the high-risk diseases

• Pre-plan your health checkups to keep a tab on your health

• Have a plan for your workout schedule according to the reports of your genetics

• Know if you are predisposed to develop health threatening, addictive habits. If you already have developed addictions, you can plan for management/quitting

How Does it Help on a Broader Community Level?

Non-communicable diseases are becoming prevalent in India along with congenital malformations and genetic disorders. These are the commonest causes of mortality in adults and neonates. The ability to identify the risks of non-communicable diseases and genetic disorders at an early stage can go a long way in saving lives and out of pocket expenses. The way to know these risks are through genetic testing or screening.

Know more about how genetic testing works in preventing diseases.