20,000
Humans have roughly 20,000 protein-coding genes.
- Even
- Composite
Where 20,000 fits
Why 20,000 is special
Before the genome was sequenced, estimates ran to 100,000 and a sweepstake was run among researchers. The real figure is close to a nematode worm's, which forced a rethink of the assumption that complexity tracks gene count.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (30)
- 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 400, 500, 625, 800, 1000, 1250, 2000, 2500, 4000, 5000, 10000, 20000
- Prime factorisation
- 2^5 × 5^4
- Digit sum
- 2
- Digital root
- 2
Representations
- Decimal
- 20000
- Binary
- 100111000100000
- Octal
- 47040
- Hexadecimal
- 4e20
- Scientific notation
- 2.000 × 10^4
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
- Powerful number
- Harshad (Niven) number
Science
Humans have about 20,000 protein-coding genes — comparable to a nematode and fewer than many plants. The result contradicted the expectation that complex organisms need more genes, and shifted attention to regulation and splicing instead.
DocumentedScience
Common questions
Is 20,000 a prime number?
No, 20,000 is not prime.
What are the factors of 20,000?
The factors of 20,000 are 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 80, 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 400, 500, 625, 800, 1000, 1250, 2000, 2500, 4000, 5000, 10000, 20000.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 1 reviewer-confirmed record, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 3 August 2026