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The size of our (non-junk) DNA is limited by its mutation rate. (Though I don't know how the limit grows as a function of mutation rate, and I don't know if we'
by philh 12y ago
The size of our (non-junk) DNA is limited by its mutation rate. (Though I don't know how the limit grows as a function of mutation rate, and I don't know if we've hit that limit as a species.)
- GregBuchholz 12y agoI thought that "junk DNA" was now a discarded misnomer, and that while there are sections that don't code for protein synthesis, it still has a biological function. It looks like it is still up in the air as to what percentage of non-coding DNA is biologically vital. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noncoding_DNA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noncoding_DNA
- philh 12y agoIf junk DNA doesn't exist, the limit applies to the whole genome. (I lean towards thinking that some non-junk DNA has been previously mistakenly classified as junk, but that junk DNA still exists in a meaningful sense. But I'm a layman, and I don't even have a strong idea of what the expert consensus is.)