Genomes: not just genes

Junk?

More than half of the DNA in our genome is made up of repeated sequences. The result is as if a printer had made a mistake and scattered lots of copies of one page of a book throughout the story. Some of these repeated areas appear to stabilize the chromosomes; others may have a role in spacing out the coding sequences so that they can be activated independently.

Recent studies have suggested that the amount of noncoding DNA increases according to the complexity of the organism. The 'junk' might conceivably have a role in enabling our genomes to change and evolve. We don't know all the answers yet, but stay tuned for the next update ...