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AAT Bioquest

What is the smallest human chromosome?

Posted January 16, 2023


Answer

Chromosome 21 is the smallest human chromosome. Chromosome 21 is one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans. It has about 48 million base pairs or DNA building blocks. Chromosome 21 makes up about 1.5% to 2% of the total DNA in cells.

Additional resources

Molecular genetics of human chromosome 21

Cell Structures and Organelles

DNA and RNA Quantitation

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