About 1 in 800 babies is born with a chromosome abnormality. The most common is Down syndrome, followed by Fragile-X syndrome. Collectively, the next most common are the syndromes of chromosome 18. The Human Genome Genes are the units of instruction that the cells of the human body use to carry out their functions.
Every cell has the same complete set of instructions.
There are thought to be about 3 billion base pairs in the human genome. A genome is the total compliment of genes for an organism. The number of genes in the human genome is unknown at this time. Estimates range from 35,000 to 120,000. The United States Congress determines the amount of money the NIH receives in order to carry out their mission.