Number of germ-line cell divisions per generation

Value 200 Unitless
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference Lynch M, Sung W, Morris K, Coffey N, Landry CR, Dopman EB, Dickinson WJ, Okamoto K, Kulkarni S, Hartl DL, Thomas WK. A genome-wide view of the spectrum of spontaneous mutations in yeast. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jul 8 105(27):9272-7. p. 9276 left column 2nd paragraph and note under table 3 Table - link PubMed ID18583475
Primary Source Crow JF. The origins, patterns and implications of human spontaneous mutation. Nat Rev Genet. 2000 Oct1(1):40-7.PubMed ID11262873
Method Value of 200 not given by primary source, however see following excerpt from primary source, p.41 right column bottom paragraph: In the female there are 22 cell divisions before meiosis and two during meiosis, giving 23 chromosome replications in total, because only one replication occurs during the two meiotic divisions. As all the cell divisions are completed before birth, there is no increase with postnatal age. Spermatogenesis is quite different. Sperm are produced continuously throughout reproductive life, so the number of cell divisions and chromosome replications that have occurred increases with age. This is shown in BOX 1 link - link
Comments Note: Drost et al., 1995, PMID 7789362 write that the estimates of the number of germ cell divisions per generation are: for humans, 401 (30-year generation) in males and 31 in females.
Entered by Uri M
ID 105573