BIOL 336 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Gene Duplication, Genome Size, Concerted Evolution
Document Summary
Lecture #5: describe patterns of variation in genome size among key groups. Protozoa have organisms with smallest and maybe biggest euk genomes. Angiosperms (flowering plants) + ferns have large range of genome sizes. But conifers (their sister group) have small range of big genomes: explain what makes a selfish genetic element selfish, and propose ideas for why these persist. Transposable elements (eg line, sine elements) are sequences of dna that can move within or b/w genomes. Selfish b/c they do not perform useful functions for organisms. Persist in genome b/c they succeed in replicating themselves. Maybe because they don"t impart a cost normally, so they"re just there. Or they do impart a small cost (=reduced fitness) but can still spread if their rate of proliferation is fast relative to cost. Obligate parasites/symbionts have smaller genomes than free-living: graph the relationship between gene number and genome size in (eubacteria and.
