Esophageal Cancer Associated Protein (ECAP)

Humans normally have 46 chromosomes in each cell, divided into 23 pairs. Two copies of chromosome 16, one copy inherited from each parent, form one of the pairs. Chromosome 16 spans about 89 million DNA building blocks (base pairs) and represents almost 3 percent of the total DNA in cells.Identifying genes on each chromosome is an active area of genetic research. Because researchers use different approaches to predict the number of genes on each chromosome, the estimated number of genes varies. Chromosome 16 likely contains between 850 and 1,200 genes. These genes perform a variety of roles in the body.Many genetic conditions are related to changes in particular genes on chromosome 16. This list of disorders associated with genes on chromosome 16 provides links to additional information.