An estimation of the number of cells in the human body
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: All living organisms are made of individual and identifiable cells, whose number, together with their size and type, ultimately defines the structure and functions of an organism. While the total cell number of lower organisms is often known, it has not yet been defined in higher organisms. In particular, the reported total cell number of a human being ranges between 10(12) and 10(16) and it is widely mentioned without a proper reference. AIM: To study and discuss the theoretical issue of the total number of cells that compose the standard human adult organism. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A systematic calculation of the total cell number of the whole human body and of the single organs was carried out using bibliographical and/or mathematical approaches. RESULTS: A current estimation of human total cell number calculated for a variety of organs and cell types is presented. These partial data correspond to a total number of 3.72 × 10(13). CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the total cell number of the human body as well as of individual organs is important from a cultural, biological, medical and comparative modelling point of view. The presented cell count could be a starting point for a common effort to complete the total calculation.
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In human adults, the liver contains approximately 3.6 × 10^11 hepatocytes.
“In human adults, the liver contains approximately3.6 × 1011 hepatocytes (34)”
From Revitalizing liver function in mice with liver failure through transplantation of 3D-bioprinted liver with expanded primary hepatocytes (2024) · cites this paper as [34]
The total extension in length of all nuclear DNA molecules present in a single human individual is about 6.20 billion km.
“Considering a mean length in a diploid cell of 206.62 cm and the latest estimation of a mean of 3 × 1012 nucleated cells for a reference human being [38, 39], the total extension in length of all nuclear DNA molecules present in a single human individual is of about 6.20 billion km (6.20 × 1012 m) and is sufficient to cover the Earth-Sun distance (https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/glossary/au.html) more”
From On the length, weight and GC content of the human genome (2019) · cites this paper as [38]
The mean number of nucleated cells in a reference human being is 3 × 10^12.
“Considering a mean length in a diploid cell of 206.62 cm and the latest estimation of a mean of 3 × 1012 nucleated cells for a reference human being [38, 39], the total extension in length of all nuclear DNA molecules present in a single human individual is of about 6.20 billion km (6.20 × 1012 m) and is sufficient to cover the Earth-Sun distance (https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/glossary/au.html) more”
From On the length, weight and GC content of the human genome (2019) · cites this paper as [38]
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- Authors
- Bianconi, E., Piovesan, A., Facchin, F., Beraudi, A., Casadei, R., Frabetti, F., Vitale, L., Pelleri, M. C., Tassani, S., Piva, F., Perez-Amodio, S., Strippoli, P., & Canaider, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Bologna (IT)
- Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (IT)
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (GR)
- Marche Polytechnic University (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Strippoli, Pierluigi
- ORCID
- Venue
- Annals of Human Biology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-07-05
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 463-471
- ISSN
- 0301-4460 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-5033
- OpenAlex
- W2114416030
- Cited by
- 1,012
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 73 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 120 · 2020: 105 · 2019: 109 · 2018: 95 · 2017: 90 · 2016: 75 · 2015: 73 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 288.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Annals of Human Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archivio istituzionale della ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) (submittedVersion)
- Università Politecnica delle Marche (Università Politecnica delle Marche) (submittedVersion)
- INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Anatomy › Medical and Biological Sciences
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Science, Research, and Medicine
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Census and Population Estimation
- Keywords
- human body, human organs, cell count estimation, adults, cell size, cell types
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cell Count, Humans, Models, Biological, Organ Specificity, Cell Size
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