Plants and animals with bigger genomes grow less efficiently – new research helps explain why they never died out

LONDON: All living things have a blueprint provided by the DNA that is stored in every one of their cells. Yet the amount of DNA in each cell – what we refer to as genome size – spans an incredible range across the tree of life.

In animals, it ranges from the tiny genome of the worm-like marine parasite Intoshia variabili, which is 200 times smaller than a human’s, to that of the marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus), which is estimated to be over 40 times larger than our own. Plants show similar variation, with one – the fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolata) – holding the record for the largest genome, having over 50 times as much DNA in each cell as humans.

This variation in genome size highlights the remarkable diversity of life on Earth, but also poses an intriguing evolutionary question. Smaller genomes enable plants and animals to grow much more quickly and efficiently, so why do some species have much larger genomes?’

Source: PTI News

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