Chromosome 13 (human)

Chromosome 13 is one of 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans. A normal person has two nearly identical copies of this chromosome in most of its cells. Chromosome 13 is a acrocentric chromosome, that is, it has a terminal centromere. It is the largest acrocentric chromosome of man. With 6.5 genes per 1 million base pairs it has the lowest gene density of all human chromosomes.

Decryption of chromosome 13

The chromosome 13 consists of 114 million base pairs. A base pair is the smallest information unit of DNA. Chromosome 13 containing about 3.5 to 4 % of the total DNA of a human cell. The identification of the genes on this chromosome is the part of the ongoing process of the human genome. On chromosome 13 are located between 300 and 700 genes. So far, 356 of them are known.

Known genes on chromosome 13

The chromosome 13 contains the following genes:

  • BRCA2
  • Factor VII
  • X Factor: Thrombokinase

Medical importance

With the genes located on chromosome 13, the following genetic diseases or symptoms are associated. These include:

  • Breast cancer
  • Keratitis - ichthyosis - deafness syndrome
  • MODY type 3
  • Wilson's disease
  • Patau syndrome ( trisomy 13)
  • Retinoblastoma
  • Tourette's syndrome
  • Troyer syndrome
  • Waardenburg syndrome
Maturity onset diabetes of the young
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