The pig has 98 per cent of our DNA?

Question

The banana DNA is also practically identical to our own!

Is that not a little scary?

it is 98% !!

don't argue!!

Answer 1

Yep, we are all relatives.
There was only so much DNA for God to pass around
when he was in his creative mood!
That's why the whole wide world is one big
hap.. hap... happy FAMILY!!!!!!!.

Answer 2

Doesn't sound like a question to me...

Anyway, a lot of the expression of our genes comes from epigenetic changes, which include methylation and acetylation processes of the DNA promoters as well of the proteins which hold it all together, called histones (8 of which constitute a nucelosome). These changes determine whether a gene is expressed or silenced and at which extend is the gene expressed (how much mRNA comes out of it). Also, most DNA doen not consitute genes (which are the portions which are transcribed and expresses) but inter-gene or silent intra-gene (introns) regions. So, what you should really be looking at is:
- what proportion of non-silent DNA do we have in common with other organisms?
- does this lead to the same range of enzymes and proteins expressed in the organisms? In other words are the biological pathways identical or just similar?
And even this would not be enough, as the environment makes a different on how the enzymes work....

Just consider this: 99% of our expressed genome is identical of that of a chimpanzee, but we don't hang upside down from trees, do we?

Answer 3

I don't think it's quite 98%, but it's closer than you'd think. Chimps for example are 96% similar to us (the chimp genome project was completed last year). We used to think that the differences in the sequence of genes were responsable for the differences in organisms, but there has been recent research suggesting that it's the way those genes are controlled that is so important. We might share the exact same genes as a pig for developing limbs, for example, but as an embryo, different ones of these genes are switched on or off in pigs and humans. They will also express (make proteins) at different rates or at different times. This will affect how we develop. It's amazing that such large differences can be brought about by such a little change.

Answer 4

Well everything around us is living and practically like us because were living. It sounds scary but remember 98 percent is quite a bit but not 100 percent so theirs alot of things that are diiferent in appereance because obviously we dont look like pigs or bananas for that case lol. In thousands of years we will evolve to humans much greater then us and make are bodies and brains even more powerful then they already are. Are brains are the most powerfulest machine in the world and we only use onli about 1 third of it. So whos to say how powerful we will be then? eh?

hope the extra info helped
good lucK!

Answer 5

Human DNA is made up of exons and introns. The introns don't get changed in to proteins only the exons do which is apparently only 1.5% of our DNA (I think!!) so the rest is not made into proteins therefore it wouldn't make a difference whether or not if our DNA was 98% similar to a pigs (or a bananas for that matter)

Answer 6

No, why should it be?
If DNA was very different, then protein would be different too, so we could not eat those things.
Most of the DNA looks after things like: how to breath, how to process sugar, how to make blood, and so on. The part that says: walk on two legs and ask questions on Yahoo! answers is just a tiny fraction of the DNA, after all of the important life issues have been addressed.

Answer 7

Why scary?
It's re-assuring and elating!!!!

Reaearch has suggested that several organs can be safely transplanted from pigs to humans, with little or no risk of rejections by the donee body.

There is Ongoing research on how and what to safely transplant from pigs to humans.

Many medicines, including some steroids are extracted from pigs,
Banana is almost a complete food.

So, cheer up !!!
we have cousins- pigs n bananas who help us at their expense!! ha ha

Answer 8

No because everything on earth has similar elements in there DNA it is the small changes that make us different. Everyting on earth is carbon based so we have to share some genes. But one tiny change can make the difference between developing as a human or an amoeba.

Answer 9

That is correct and there is no problem at all. In fact
some heart valve implantation‘s are taken from pigs
and work better than mechanical substitutes. Our system,
in this particular case, does not reject pig cells.

Answer 10

Yeah, it is. Just think, a little too much XRay radiation while your mom was pregnant and, she could have given birth to a 8 pound Chiquita.

Answer 11

When i was in jail some crazy *** inmate told me men taste just like pigs when eaten. That why the jews don't eat swine. I like bacon though. we probably taste good then.