Wrap-up Questions

1. Describe three differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes.

2. Define “ploidy”, and compare the ploidy of a bacterium, a human sperm, and a human skin cell.

3. What percentage of the human genome is protein-coding? Is it true to say that the remaining percentage does not affect an organism’s phenotype? Explain your reasoning.

4. Initially grouped together as “junk” DNA, in recent years more and more data suggests that repetitive DNA can have a profound effect on an organism’s traits. Do a quick websearch to find one example of a SINE or LINE that affects human health.