How Many Chromosomes Do Dogs Have?

By
 Ashly 
on 
April 25, 2018

Want to find out how many chromosomes dogs have? Read on to find out!

What Are Chromosomes?

Chromosomes are thread-like entities found inside the nucleus of plants and animals. Chromosomes are made of protein and a single DNA molecule.

The purpose of a chromosome is to keep DNA tightly wrapped up, because without them DNA molecules would be too big for their cells!

Cells in living things are constantly dividing to create new cells and replace the old ones. It’s important that our DNA remains intact and is distributed properly, which is where Chromosomes come in.

While chromosomes do their best to make sure cells reproduce properly, errors can occur in humans, dogs and any other cellular species.

Sex Chromosomes

Just like in humans, dogs have sex chromosomes characterised by X and Y. Females have XX chromosomes while males have XY chromosomes.

How Many Chromosomes Do Dogs Have?

Dogs have 39 pairs of chromosomes and a total of 78.  To compare, humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (total of 46) and  cats have 19 chromosome pairs (total of 38).

 Dolphins have 22 pairs of chromosomes (44 in total), earthworms have 18 pairs of chromosomes (36 in total) and elephants have 28 pairs of chromosomes (56 in total).

The number of chromosomes an animal has doesn’t mean it is more or less complex than other animals with more chromosomes.

There are around 400 different breeds of dog, making the pooch one of the most diverse animals – at least in terms of their physical appearance – in the world.

Related Posts


Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comments-list.class.php on line 90

Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comments-list.class.php on line 102

Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comments-list.class.php on line 113

Warning: Undefined array key "action" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comments-list.class.php on line 113

Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comment-form.class.php on line 75

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Warning: Undefined array key "preview" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/components/classes/comment-form.class.php on line 79

Warning: Undefined array key "size" in /home/u198566027/domains/generallypets.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins/oxygen/component-framework/includes/oxygen-dynamic-shortcodes.php on line 297
Ashly

Hey yaa! Im Ashly and I love pets. Growing up in a house with 2 dogs, a cat, a parrot and many furry rodents; it was natural for me to have a profound affection for them. I created GenerallyPets.com to create useful guides and articles on looking after your furry friends. The advice given on this site is our views and expertise, please consult a VET prior to testing anything. Hope my site helps you :)

Read more

Copyright © Generally Pets, 2021 
usercrossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram