What is the C-value paradox?
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The observation that the amount of DNA does not correlate with the number of genes or the complexity of an organism.
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What is the C-value paradox?
The observation that the amount of DNA does not correlate with the number of genes or the complexity of an organism.
How can we study genome size in extinct taxa?
By calibrating the size of living organisms' genomes and inferring the genome sizes of extinct lineages based on fossil evidence.
What are pseudogenes?
Defunct copies of genes that arise from gene duplication and may lose their function over time.
What is the difference between functional and nonfunctional DNA?
Functional DNA contributes to the organism's phenotype, while nonfunctional DNA, like transposable elements, may not have a direct benefit.
What is genome evolution fundamentally about?
Changes in genetics over generations, specifically the information in the genome that continues on through offspring.
What is the significance of transposable elements in the human genome?
They outnumber protein-coding genes and can influence genome size and organization.
How does the majority of the genome in most eukaryotes behave?
It is largely non-coding and not just focused on specific genes.
How do deletion biases affect genome size?
Deletion biases can lead to a tendency for genomes to lose DNA more easily than they gain it, affecting overall size.
How does genome size correlate with ecological traits?
Larger genomes generally lead to larger cell sizes and slower cell division, which can affect metabolic rates and body size.
What are some major structural changes that can occur in genomes?
Changes in genome size, number of chromosomes, arrangement of genes, and the presence of gene families.
What is the role of the ENCODE project in genome research?
It aimed to identify functional elements in the genome, but its criteria for functionality have been criticized as overly broad.
What role do transposable elements play in genome evolution?
They are sequences of DNA that can move within the genome, contributing to genome size and complexity.
What is genome size?
The total amount of DNA in each copy of the genome, which varies significantly across different organisms.
What is adaptationism in evolution?
The idea that natural selection shapes most characteristics of organisms to benefit survival and reproduction.
What is the onion test in the context of genome size?
It questions why an onion, which has five times more DNA than humans, needs that much more DNA, challenging assumptions about genome function.
