Junk DNA

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Junk DNA

Junk DNA (/dʒʌŋk diːeɪnə/), also known as noncoding DNA, refers to regions of DNA that do not encode protein sequences.

Etymology

The term "junk DNA" was first used in 1972 by Susumu Ohno, a Japanese-American geneticist, to describe DNA that does not contain information for the production of proteins. The term "junk" was used to imply that this DNA has no known function.

Definition

Junk DNA is a portion of the DNA sequence that does not code for an amino acid sequence or have a known regulatory function. It makes up a significant portion of the genome, with estimates suggesting that over 98% of human DNA is noncoding.

Function

While initially thought to be useless, recent research has suggested that junk DNA may have important functions. These include regulation of gene expression, organization of chromosome structure, and involvement in evolutionary processes.

Related Terms

  • Intron: A segment of DNA or RNA molecule containing parts of the gene that do not code for a protein and are removed before translation.
  • Exon: A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence.
  • Genome: The complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism.
  • Gene expression: The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product.

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