genome
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GC: n

S: http://www.broadinstitute.org/education/glossary/genome (last access: 1 June 2016); http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/whats_a_genome/Chp2_1.shtml (last access: 1 June 2016).

N: 1. “sum total of genes in a set,” 1930, genom, modeled on German genom, coined 1920 by German botanist Hans Winkler, from gen “gene” + (chromos)om “chromosome”.
2. A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. In humans, a copy of the entire genome—more than 3 billion DNA base pairs—is contained in all cells that have a nucleus.
3. Our bodies are made up of millions of cells? (100,000,000,000,000), each with their own complete set of instructions for making us, like a recipe book for the body. This set of instructions is known as our genome and is made up of DNA?. Each cell in the body, for example, a skin cell or a liver cell, contains this same set of instructions:

  • The instructions in our genome are made up of DNA.
  • Within DNA is a unique chemical code that guides our growth, development and health.
  • This code is determined by the order of the four nucleotide bases that make up DNA, adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine, A, C, G and T for short.
  • DNA has a twisted structure in the shape of a double helix.
  • Single strands of DNA are coiled up into structures called chromosomes?.
  • Your chromosomes are located in the nucleus? within each cell.
  • Within our chromosomes, sections of DNA are “read” together to form genes?.
  • Genes control different characteristics such as eye colour and height.
  • All living things have a unique genome?.
  • The human genome is made of 3.2 billion bases of DNA but other organisms have different genome sizes.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=genome (last access: 1 June 2016). 2. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/hgp/genome (last access: 1 June 2016). 3. http://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-a-genome (last access: 1 June 2016).

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CR: DNA, gene.