Genome Evolution

Genome

The complete set of genetic material containing the genes that code for functional molecules and ensure continuity across generations.

flow cytometry

A technique used to estimate genome size bu measuring cellular DNA mass in picograms (1×10−12 g)

Coding DNA

Portions of a genome that encode functional proteins and require translation via the genetic code

Psuedogene

A deactivated, non functional genomic sequence that remains as a relict of an ancestral coding gene.

Transposable element

a self replicating sequence DNA that proliferates within a host genome using the host's cellular machinery without providing a functional product.

Barbara McClintock

The cytogeneticist who discovered transposable elements ('jumping genes') through her research on maize.

Plasmid

A small, typically circular DNA molecule in prokaryotes that carries non-essential, often adaptive genes and replicates independently of cell division.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT)

The one-way transfer of genetic material between different lineages or species without sexual reproduction or cell division.

Haplodiploidy

A sex-determination system in eusocial insects where haploid males arise from unfertilized eggs and diploid females arise from fertilized eggs.