Does "Junk DNA" have any real use?

Question

If “junk DNA” is really an important and integral component of the genome, why would the marbled lungfish need 130 billion nucleotides of it compared to our own 3.2 billion?

Answer 1

The concept of "junk" DNA is rapidly evaporating as we understand more about the genome. We are finding that in some cases repetative DNA is crucial for centromere function, and that the length and type of repeat makes a difference in recognition and may play a vital role in chromosome segregation. As for introns, many, many examples of introns being crucial for regulation both at the transcriptional and translational (alternative splicing for example) level have been uncovered and in some cases, we find that different genes are encoded on opposite strands of DNA so that one gene's intron may function as an exon in a gene being encoded in the opposite direction.

As for relative amounts of DNA, plants, for instance, have a lot more DNA than humans in many cases. Plants are far more adaptable. It is true that there are a lot of duplications and DNA that is unneccessary for survival, but again, more studies show that while not neccessary, these DNA sequences still have a function that factors into how the plant grows or functions, even if it is an augmentation rather than a crucial role.

Answer 2

although not very sure, scientists say that the so called junk DNA is vital, because it helps maintain the structure of the genome, the architecture of the chromosomes. It is proven that, at different ages, the junk DNA has a different structure or arrangement. Junk DNA is also important for mutations and other changes in the genome's structure... Probably we have less nucleotides than the lungfish, because the human cell is more evolved, and so it more effective... as cells evolve, they tend to eliminate what is unuseful, to adopt a more efficient structure... so it means less junk DNA, and also less proteins...

Answer 3

We don't know what junk DNA is for. The original idea was that it was just junk, hence the name. But people have often dismissed parts of the human body as junk and then found out that they have a use.

At the start of the 20th century, they thought that tonsils had no use, since adults don't need them, so they used to cut them out of children as a matter of routine (without anaesthetic). Then they discovered that tonsils are part of your immune system and help prevent you from catching colds and similar diseases.

So they're wary of dismissing the junk DNA in the same way.

Answer 4

There are many theories. I think what we call "junk DNA" is a mixture of real junk, DNA of retroviruses, parts serving as structural support and parts with regulatory function through non-coding RNA (another hot topic).

Answer 5

Weeeeell, I guess that's the way God made it huh? Ain't got a clue!

Answer 6

real use is compensating the length of one DNA strand with complementary DNA strand

Answer 7

I am hearing it for the first time.if you get more information share it with me.