Question and Answer
Video Q&A: Non-coding RNAs and eukaryotic evolution - a personal view
BMC Biology 2010, 8:67 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-8-67
Question and Answer
- Welcome Stanford University
- Log on
Question and Answer
BMC Biology 2010, 8:67 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-8-67
Huge genomes and their implications
David Wake (2010-07-21 16:11) University of California at Berkeley
I enjoyed this provocative presentation. It leads to this comment. Lungfish and salamanders have enormous genomes, and in consequence have enormous cells. Because most are small, salamanders have few cells, very few cells by mammalian standards. So it stands to reason that genome growth cannot be neutral because it carries too many negative implications -- slow cell cycle time, organs made of few cells, etc. So, there must be some compensation. What is it? What is the advantage for huge genomes that compensates for the demonstrably negative effects? I think this is a major challenge for genomics. The old "C-value Paradox" still lives!
Competing interests
No competing interests.
top