All the organisms on your campus make up a. an ecosystem. b. a community. c. a population
Read moreTable of Contents
Textbook Solutions for Campbell Biology in Focus - Standalone book
Question
A typical prokaryotic cell has about 3,000 genes in its DNA, while a human cell has about 20,500 genes. About 1,000 of these genes are present in both types of cells. Based on your understanding of evolution, explain how such different organisms could have this same subset of genes. What sorts of functions might these shared genes have?
Solution
Step 1 of 4
A prokaryotic cell is a simple cell with no nuclear membrane, and the nucleic material lies scattered within a nucleoid. This is a key distinction between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells as the former has its genetic material properly enclosed within a membrane-bound nucleus.
full solution
Watch The Answer!
Shared Genes: Why Humans & Prokaryotes Share 1000?
Want To Learn More? To watch the entire video and ALL of the videos in the series:
full solution
Explore the fascinating intersection of human and prokaryotic genetics revealing that both contain about 1000 shared genes despite their complexity difference. The video explains how this common genetic heritage can be traced back to a universal ancestor covering the essential functions these genes perform like metabolism and DNA replication.