Each autosome stores many thousands genes, each of which performs a unique function in the organism’s cells. Under normal circumstances, each chromosome follows a “map” that is shared across individuals in the species. This allows cells to “know” where to start gene expression when they want to express a certain gene.

What do each of the 23 chromosomes represent?

Each one of our cells contains 23 pairs of chromosomes; one of the chromosomes comes from our mother and the other from our father. Like a recipe book, each chromosome contains a certain number of recipes, known as ‘genes‘. Over 20’000 genes are recipes for proteins which are essential components of life.

What does the 3rd chromosome do?

Chromosome 3GenBankCM000665 (FASTA)