In simple terms, this is the genetic recipe for making a human being. Genome is a combination of the words gene and chromosome, and a genome is defined as all the genetic material — known as deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA in a cell. Most genes encode sequences of amino acids, the constituents of proteins, thus initiating and controlling the replication of an organism. The identification and characterization of the human genetic puzzle have been a key bioscience research target. The Human Genome Project was launched in 1990 (and completed in 2003) to produce a full sequence of the three million base pairs that make up the human genome.
The human genome refers to the entire collection of human genetic material. It comprises 23 chromosomes in total, which collectively house around 30,000 genes. With the exception of egg and sperm cells, all other cells possess two sets of these 23 chromosomes—one inherited from the father and the other from the mother.
The Human Genome Project, an international research initiative, commenced in 1990 with the objective of identifying all the genes within the human body. After thirteen years of dedicated efforts, the project was successfully concluded in 2003.