wieviel gene hat der mensch — what does this mean exactly?

The question 'How many genes does a human have?' seems straightforward but is scientifically nuanced. The answer depends on the definition of 'gene.' In classical genetics, protein-coding genes number about 20,000–25,000 (GENCODE v44). Additionally, there are thousands of non-coding RNA genes, pseudogenes, and regulatory elements, pushing the total transcribed units above 60,000. Earlier estimates of 100,000 or more were inflated. This question often arises in the context of consumer DNA tests: a MyBody-X test analyzes only a small set of variants (e.g., FTO, MTHFR), not the entire genome. Saying 'humans have X genes' is of limited practical use – what matters is which variants have measurable effects. The evidence is strong (human-strong), based on decades of genome research. Consumers should understand that gene count does not equate to complexity or health risk.