To multiply, a cell splits into two identical copies. The cell uses the instructions on its DNA and the chemicals in the cell to produce an identical DNA copy for the new cell. Then the process repeats itself many times as one cell copies to become two.

Can genes be reproduced?

Most organisms that reproduce sexually have two copies of each gene, because each parent cell or organism donates a single copy of its genes to its offspring. Additionally, genes can exist in slightly different forms, called alleles, which further adds to genetic variation.

How many genes does a child inherit?

An international research effort called the Human Genome Project, which worked to determine the sequence of the human genome and identify the genes that it contains, estimated that humans have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes. Every person has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent.