What is Selfish DNA?
Q: What is Selfish DNA?
A: Selfish DNA is a term for sequences of DNA that have two properties: the ability to spread by forming more copies of itself in the genome, and not helping the reproductive success of its host organism.
Q: Who first suggested the idea of selfish DNA?
A: Richard Dawkins first suggested the idea of selfish DNA in his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene.
Q: How did Orgel and Crick expand on this concept?
A: Orgel and Crick expanded on this concept in an article published in Nature in 1980, where they discussed how natural selection works with replicating entities competing against each other. They argued that more efficient replicators will increase at the expense of less efficient competitors over time.
Q: How does normal genetically functional DNA replicate?
A: Normal genetically functional DNA replicates by manipulating the cell it controls.
Q: What are some similarities between selfish DNA and viruses?
A: It can be difficult to distinguish between some instances of selfish DNA and some types of viruses due to their shared characteristics such as their ability to exploit existing mechanisms in a cell to multiply without affecting its fitness.
Q: Is there a clear boundary between selfish DNA and genetically functional DNA?
A: No, there is no sharp boundary between these two concepts since it can be difficult to determine if a unit of noncoding DNA is functionally important or not, or if important, what way it affects an organism's fitness.
Q: What was discovered when noncoding DNAs were studied?
A: When noncoding DNAs were studied, it was discovered that they had two properties - they could spread by forming more copies of themselves within a genome, but did not help with an organism's reproductive success.
