• Skip to Page Content
  • Skip to Site Navigation
  • Skip to Search
  • Skip to Footer
American Museum of Natural History
Share
OLogy Home
Games
Reading
Hands-on
Videos
Biology
Biodiversity
Brain
Genetics
Marine BiOLogy
MicrobiOLogy
PaleontOLogy
ZoOLogy
Human Cultures
AnthropOLogy
ArchaeOLogy
Earth & Space
Astronomy
Climate Change
Earth
Physics
Water
Type keyword(s) to search OLogy

OLogy Cards > gene

OLOGY CARD 089
Series: Biology

gene

Have you ever wondered why you look like your parents, grandparents, or siblings? It's because of your genes—the instructions for making you. Genes are sections of DNA, which is found in every cell in your body. You inherited half your genes from your mother and half from your father. Your parents got their genes from your grandparents. And so on. . .

Purpose: Genes carry the codes that make all living things.
Number: Humans have about 30,000 genes and carry two copies of every gene, one copy from each parent.
Characteristics: Genes come in pairs and are made of a chemical called DNA.
Why important: Genes carry the information that partly determines what makes you YOU!

Who shares exactly the same genes?

kids and their parents

identical twins

cousins

Correct!

Identical twins are natural clones. They develop early in pregnancy when the mother's fertilized egg splits in two. Each embryo contains the same genes.

skull

Which creature has the most genes?

worm

fruit fly

human

Correct!

Scientists estimate that humans have about 30,000 genes, while flies have 14,000 and worms have about 19,000.

Most traits are caused by the combination of your genes and the environment you grow up in.

Fact
OR
Fiction
?

Fact

Few traits are caused by a single gene. There's no gene for creating a sports star or a rock star. It's the genetic mix and the environment that you grow up in that matter.

Humans and chimpanzees share about 98 percent of the same genes.

Fact
OR
Fiction
?

Fact

Chimpanzees are the closest living species to humans. Their genes are surprisingly similar to ours. That's why we have so much in common.

Image credits: main image, Kelvin Chan; stumper, © AMNH.

You might also like...

What Do You Know About Genetics?

How much do you know about what makes you you? 

What Makes You, YOU

Zoom inside your cells for a fascinating look at chromosomes, DNA, genes, and more!

What is Genetics?

Take a look at the science of where it ALL begins.

Page footer
  • Contact Us
  • OLogy Cards
  • For Educators
  • Credits
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • OLogy Sitemap