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Where are Genes Located

Where are genes located? Find the answer to this question and access a vast question customized for students.

Answer: Genes are the basic structural and functional unit of heredity. They are present in the tiny thread-like structures called chromosomes, inside the nucleus of the cell. They are a segment of DNA that carry genetic characteristics from parents to offspring and determine the traits & characteristics of the child.

Genes also perform the function of making proteins. In the human body, genes vary in size and are enormous in number. There are approximately 20,000 protein coding genes. Genome is the sum total of DNA in an organism. 

Each person has two copies of every particular gene, one each inherited from both parents. Most of the genes are the same in everyone except for a few that are slightly different. These contribute to one’s unique features.