How can humans share so much DNA with Lettuce, Banannas and Mushroom’s? Do we share the same ancestors?
In: Biology
Theoretically, precisely yes. If you go far enough back on the tree of life, most if not all living organisms on Earth are connected, so sharing DNA is expected.
It’s almost all non-coding DNA (meaning DNA that doesn’t code proteins). Most of it is basic functions like DNA self-replication, repair, and regulation, and gene expression that all life has in common.
Because there’s a lot of DNA that codes for stuff common to all multicellular life. How to build a cell membrane, how to build a nucleus, how to make the proteins that hold everything together, how to make and use ATP, how to transport ions, there is so much stuff that is just like “here are the basic mechanics and parts to run a cell” that are mostly the same.
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