Do transposons (which represent more than half of mammalian genomes) serve a useful function?
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: It is not believed that the genes carried by transposons encode proteins that mammals need. It may be that there is no mechanism for mammalian cells to recognize the foreign DNA of a transposon from its own DNA, and therefore they cannot delete transposons. Over time, most organisms limit the frequency with which transposons move to new sites in the genome to minimize gene disruptions. One consequence of having millions of copies of transposons is that they serve as sites for homologous recombination that may over evolutionary time produce significant genome evolution.
You might also like to view...
The term "potable water" refers to water that is
A. safe to swim in but not drink. B. safe to drink. C. only good for irrigation. D. contaminated with chemicals.
Without ____, living organisms would often experience major changes in pH in their cells
a. buffers b. acids c. surface tension d. nonpolar bonds e. bases
A cover, or ________, is used by certain gastropods when they retreat into their shell and close the opening
a. operculum b. periostracum c. univalve d. radula
Summarize the experiment by Darwin that provided the first evidence for auxins
What will be an ideal response?