Approximately how many base pairs are in the human genome?

Approximately how many base pairs are in the human genome?

• A. 3 million
• B. 3 billion
• C. 3 trillion
• D. 30 billion

Answer: (B)

Base pairs measure genome size, and the human genome contains roughly three billion base pairs per haploid genome. That means a typical human cell, with two copies of the genome, has about six billion base pairs in total. So numbers like three million are far too small, while three trillion or thirty billion are far larger than the actual size. Approximately three billion base pairs is the right scale for the human genome.

Base pairs measure genome size, and the human genome contains roughly three billion base pairs per haploid genome. That means a typical human cell, with two copies of the genome, has about six billion base pairs in total. So numbers like three million are far too small, while three trillion or thirty billion are far larger than the actual size. Approximately three billion base pairs is the right scale for the human genome.