'Junk' DNA May Have Important Role In Gene Regulation

For about 15 years, scientists have known that certain "junk" DNA -- repetitive DNA segments previously thought to have no function -- could evolve into exons, which are the building blocks for protein-coding genes in higher organisms like animals and plants. Now, there is evidence that a significant number of exons created from junk DNA seem to play a role in gene regulation. The findings increase understanding of how humans differ from other animals.

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