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Numbers in the News: DNA
April 25 is National DNA Day! Here are some facts about this important molecule, which carries the genetic instructions to create all life on Earth.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
adenine (A) [green]
thymine (T) [blue]
guanine (G) [red]
cytosine (C) [yellow]
4
The number of nucleotide bases, or chemical building blocks, that combine in pairs to form DNA.
160 BILLION
POL FERNANDEZ/INSTITUT BOTANIC DE BARCELONA (CSIC)/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The number of base pairs in the genome, or complete set of DNA, of the New Caledonian fork fern. That’s 50 times more DNA than a human has!
99.9%
The percentage of DNA all humans share. Our differences—from height to eye color—are determined by 0.1% of our genome.
12.5 YEARS
The amount of time it took for scientists to map almost all the genes in human DNA.
2.4 MILLION YEARS
The age of the oldest DNA ever discovered.
TAKE IT FURTHER: Watch the video below. What more do you want to know about DNA?
SOURCES: NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE, NATURE (2022), ISCIENCE (2024)