Of mice and men. The genetic
similarity (or homology) of superficially dissimilar
species is amply demonstrated here. The full complement
of human chromosomes can be cut, schematically at least,
into about 150 pieces (only about 100 are large enough to
appear in this illustration), then reassembled into a
reasonable approximation of the mouse genome. The colors
of the mouse chromosomes and the numbers alongside
indicate the human chromosomes containing homologous
segments. This piecewise similarity between the mouse and
human genomes means that insights into mouse genetics are
likely to illuminate human genetics as well. |