What makes a cow a cow? Complete bovine genome sequenced

Researchers report today in the journal Science that they have sequenced the **bovine genome**, for the first time revealing the genetic features that distinguish cattle from humans and other mammals. The bovine genome consists of at least 22,000 protein-coding genes and is more similar to that of humans than to the genomes of mice or rats, the researchers report. However, the cattle genome appears to have been significantly reorganized since its lineage diverged from those of other mammals, said University of Illinois animal sciences professor Harris Lewin, whose lab created the high-resolution physical map of the **bovine chromosomes** that was used to align the sequence. More information on "Physorg":[ http://www.physorg.com/news159715395.html]

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