Japan?s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has published a map of the human genome for the general population that it aims to distribute to households across the country. A total of 40,000 maps are being provided to primary, middle and high schools nationwide, and about 50,000 copies are being supplied to science museums around the country, where they will be distributed to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The map includes the names and locations of about 1% of the 26,800 genes that make up the human genome. Details and illustrations help explain genes that hit close to home, such as the one that determines your ability to metabolize alcohol and the one that produces collagen. PDF versions of the map are available for download (large or small), and an interactive Flash version is here.

[Source: Asahi Shimbun]