A third of the 1751 genes studied the mouse genome are essential to life, and mutations of these genes cause death at the embryo stage. Many of them have counterparts in the human genome, so understanding why these genes are so vital could help prioritize human genes for study.

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A third of the 1751 genes studied the mouse genome are essential to life, and mutations of these genes cause death at the embryo stage. Many of them have counterparts in the human genome, so understanding why these genes are so vital could help prioritize human genes for study.