Comments on: Fun Science - How many megabytes in the human body? http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body Not Your Average Geek Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:09:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: olivia http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1624 olivia Tue, 13 May 2008 20:37:08 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1624 how many RNA strands are there in the human body? how many RNA strands are there in the human body?

]]> By: Adam http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1448 Adam Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:09:45 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1448 As has been mentioned, there are four options for each of the 3 billion base pairs - each therefore requiring two bits. This gives 6 billion bits which equals 715 megabytes - about a CD's worth! As has been mentioned, there are four options for each of the 3 billion base pairs - each therefore requiring two bits. This gives 6 billion bits which equals 715 megabytes - about a CD’s worth!

]]> By: Shaun http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1437 Shaun Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:12:34 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1437 Is AT different from TA, and GC different from CG? I don't know, but if they're different each base pair would need 2 bits. Also is there ever a G paired with anything other than C, or is it always G with C and T with A? Thanks. Is AT different from TA, and GC different from CG? I don’t know, but if they’re different each base pair would need 2 bits. Also is there ever a G paired with anything other than C, or is it always G with C and T with A? Thanks.

]]> By: theDuck http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1421 theDuck Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:55:45 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1421 <p>Thanks Jason - again, it's really cool to have some input from readers on my hypotheticals! </p> <p>Keep up the insightful comments folks, and if you've got anything else you'd like me to cover, let me know.</p> <p>M</p> Thanks Jason - again, it’s really cool to have some input from readers on my hypotheticals!

Keep up the insightful comments folks, and if you’ve got anything else you’d like me to cover, let me know.

M

]]> By: jason http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1273 jason Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:09:25 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1273 Hi, Stumbled upon your site looking for questions to set for my Biochem students. A nice bit of fun science speculation. I would like to point out that while sperm contain a single X or Y chromosome, they also contain one copy of each of the other chromosomes as well, not so much a binary situation. Each sperm contain about 3 billion bases of genetic information.Additionally, while much of this information is redundant (the same from sperm to sperm) each copy ( all 180 million) of each chromosome is subtly different. Another smallish point; while the human genome is about 3 billion bases, most cells in our body (apart from things like sperm!) contain 2 different copies of the genome. Again, a lot of this information is redundant, but the difference is still there. So each cell actually contain 6 billion bases. jason Hi, Stumbled upon your site looking for questions to set for my Biochem students. A nice bit of fun science speculation. I would like to point out that while sperm contain a single X or Y chromosome, they also contain one copy of each of the other chromosomes as well, not so much a binary situation. Each sperm contain about 3 billion bases of genetic information.Additionally, while much of this information is redundant (the same from sperm to sperm) each copy ( all 180 million) of each chromosome is subtly different.

Another smallish point; while the human genome is about 3 billion bases, most cells in our body (apart from things like sperm!) contain 2 different copies of the genome. Again, a lot of this information is redundant, but the difference is still there. So each cell actually contain 6 billion bases.

jason

]]> By: theDuck http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1255 theDuck Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:06:11 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1255 Thanks MD2b - appreciate your informed comments :-D It's been a long time since I've done any genetics (theoretical OR practical) Thanks MD2b - appreciate your informed comments :-D It’s been a long time since I’ve done any genetics (theoretical OR practical)

]]> By: MD2B http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1247 MD2B Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:57:40 +0000 http://www.utheguru.com/fun-science-how-many-megabytes-in-the-human-body#comment-1247 I stumbled upon this from google and I must say I really appreciate your math work here, some very interesting numbers come out. Though to give you another layer of depth, (that you may or may not care about), the DNA is read from each side, not together, meaning that not only is the pairing important, but in which order the pair is in, simply, there are 4 different choices. Which means that the amount of information that the cell holds should double. Then there is also mitochondrial DNA if you just wanna find a big #, but whose counting. Anyway, thanks for the info. I stumbled upon this from google and I must say I really appreciate your math work here, some very interesting numbers come out. Though to give you another layer of depth, (that you may or may not care about), the DNA is read from each side, not together, meaning that not only is the pairing important, but in which order the pair is in, simply, there are 4 different choices. Which means that the amount of information that the cell holds should double. Then there is also mitochondrial DNA if you just wanna find a big #, but whose counting.

Anyway, thanks for the info.

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