Jumping genes have essential biological functions

'Alu' sequences are small repetitive elements representing about 10 percent of our genome. Because of their ability to move around the genome, these 'jumping genes' are considered as real motors of evolution. However, they were considered for a long time as 'junk' DNA, because, although they are transcribed into RNA, they encode no proteins and do not seem to participate actively in the cell's functions.

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