• Question: How big (or small) is a gene?

    Asked by TheXtraSuperPoweredTomBoy to Barbara, Matt, Ravinder, Sophie, Tristan on 13 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Sophie Robinson

      Sophie Robinson answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      The smallest gene in humans is just 76 base pairs long ( about 0.000000025cm long) and codes for a very tiny RNA molecule. The largest gene is 80781 base pairs (0.0000258cm) long and codes for a giant protein that functions as a spring in muscle, allowing it to be elastic.

      The average size of a gene however is about 15000 base pairs ( about 0.00005cm).

    • Photo: Barbara Shih

      Barbara Shih answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      Seems like the smallest gene(s) is a gene involved in the process of making RNA into protein (DNA is used to make RNA, which is then used to make proteins). It is 76 base pairs long. The largest/longest gene in the human genome is called dystrophin, which codes for a protein that connect muscle fibre to their surroundings. It is 2.5 megabases (2500000 bases) and covers 0.08% of the human genome!

    • Photo: Matthew Moore

      Matthew Moore answered on 13 Mar 2015:

      It depends! There isn’t a set size, for example the largest gene in the human genome (Titin) 80,781 base pairs, though the largest protein coding gene is 2200000 base pairs (Dystrophin).

      The smallest gene is that which encodes tRNAs, molecules made up of nucleotides which are involved in making new proteins, at just 76 base pairs long!

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