Like it or not, we’ve all got a lot in common with pigs. We’re omnivorous mammals that gain weight easily and are susceptible to the flu for starters.
The amount of genetic material we share with other species depends upon what you compare.
All living organisms have genetic information encoded in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), divided into units called genes. Information is transferred from the genes via a chemical called ribonucleic acid (RNA). Some RNA is translated into chains of amino-acid that make up proteins, the building blocks of every living cell.
Scientists have discovered about 20,000 mammalian genes that encode proteins with similar basic functions. So if you compare the protein-encoding portion of our DNA we have a lot in common with a lot of mammals (including pigs). While having 20,000 similar genes sounds like a lot, only one to two per cent of our DNA actually encodes proteins. Most of the rest is transcribed into RNA.
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Like it or not, we’ve all got a lot in common with pigs. We’re omnivorous mammals that gain weight easily and are susceptible to the flu for starters.
The amount of genetic material we share with other species depends upon what you compare.
All living organisms have genetic information encoded in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), divided into units called genes. Information is transferred from the genes via a chemical called ribonucleic acid (RNA). Some RNA is translated into chains of amino-acid that make up proteins, the building blocks of every living cell.
Scientists have discovered about 20,000 mammalian genes that encode proteins with similar basic functions. So if you compare the protein-encoding portion of our DNA we have a lot in common with a lot of mammals (including pigs). While having 20,000 similar genes sounds like a lot, only one to two per cent of our DNA actually encodes proteins. Most of the rest is transcribed into RNA.
See: http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/pigs-and-humans-share-112-dna-mutations-say-scientists-525273.html
And: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/05/03/2887206.htm
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