Science Genetics

Ask A Geneticist

Q: Humans have 46 chromosomes, chimps have 46 chromosomes, but do we have more or less genes than chimps?

A: Chimps and humans are 98% the same. Chimp's chromosomes can be two of our chromosomes in one. Many scientist have us thinking that one human chromosome can be the same as two in a chimp. Chromosomes can also be fused together or broken apart.

So what does make humans and chimps alike? People beleive that the answer is in the genomes that don't code for genes. The proteins in the two species seem to be the same, but the amount when and where in the body are all these proteins made.