Chromosome+16+(human)

=Chromosome 16 (human)=

In the human genome, **chromosome 16** is one of the 23 chromosomes. It is a metacentric chromosome, found within group E of the human karyotype. As with all autosomes, somatic cells carry two copies of chromosome 16, while gametes carry only one copy.

Chromosome 16 is approximately 90 Mbp (million base pairs) in length, comprising ~3% of the haploid genome Chromosome 16 has approximately 850-1200 genes

In February 2010, a new cause of obesity due to a microdeletion on chromosome 16 was announced. It may explain about 1% of obesity cases. This research was carried out by Professor Froguel, a CNRS researcher, in Lille, and others at Imperial College in London and Vaudois University and was published in Nature on February 4, 2010. This defect was identified using DNA microarrays and it leads to the suppression of about thirty genes in one region of chromosome 16. Research showed that this microdeletion is relatively common in obese people but lacking in most non-obese people.

Significant genes (and some related genetic diseases) on chromosome 16 include: