Genomes are the molecular blueprint of every living organism, with the human genome having approximately 3 billion base pairs and 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. Parasites have the smallest genomes of any multicellular organism due to genetic rationalization. The smallest genomes ever discovered belong to obligate symbionts, with the smallest free-living organism genome belonging to Mycoplasma genitalium […]
Genome size varies greatly within and between organisms, with no clear relationship to complexity. Junk DNA partially solves the “C-value conundrum.” Genome size is measured by weight and base pairs, with notable exceptions such as bacteria and plants having larger genomes than humans. The size of the genome differs in different organisms for reasons not […]
