In 1921, scientist Theophilus Painter first published the number of human chromosomes. Less than 10% of living organisms have chromosome numbers counted. Chromosome 2n number can be 2-1600 depending on species characteristics. Each cell in higher organisms has 2-80 chromosomes. The number of chromosomes in the human body is 23 pairs or 46. Among them are 2 sex chromosomes and 44 autosomes.
The least number of chromosomes
1. Plants: Moss-Mucor heimalis 2n=2 and Haplopappus gracilis 2n=4
2. Animals: Ants-Myrmecia pilosula 2n=1 and roundworms- Ascaris megalocephalus sub. sp. univalens 2n=2
Maximum number of chromosomes
1. Plants: Poa littarosa 2n=506-530 and Fern-Ophioglossum reticulatum 2n=1260 |
2. Animals: Protozoa-Aulacantha (Olacantha sp.) 2n=1600 |
[A ciliated protozoa (Oxytrichatrifallax) has 2n = 16000+ chromosomes]